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You are here: Home / Archives for 2018

Archives for 2018

5 Tips To Become A Successful Online Seller

December 29, 2018 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Online selling is currently a trend that you may want to catch up on. Numerous sellers and retailers who began early are now reaping the benefits of online selling.

Nowadays, it’s no longer enough to be on eBay or Etsy to have a successful online shop. There is a plethora of stores on these mainstream websites. Therefore, it can be challenging for customers to find your product. The trick is to locate other online selling platforms that can provide your product great exposure.

Here are five tips for becoming successful with online selling.

 

1. Focus on a Specific Product

As an online seller, you need to be clear on what product category you’re going into. Then focus just on that. Refrain from having too many different and unrelated products in your shop. This will only confuse your customers. Instead, create your online shop so that it has a uniform theme and feel.

On the Internet, there is a vast array of products and shops for consumers to choose from. To fare well in the ecommerce industry, you need to be selling something that is unique. In other words, you need a product that stands out from the competition. This could be in terms of price, product features, or promotion.

For instance, if you want to champion in price, you can provide a high-quality product without charging an arm and a leg for it. For product features, you can add a few features to your product to make it more interesting. Promotion and marketing play a significant role in making sure your product flies. To learn more about how to improve your marketing strategy, head to journal-reviews for some pro tips.

 

2. Start Affiliate Ecommerce Marketing

Affiliate e-commerce marketing is a partnership between an established e-commerce platform and an online shop. In this arrangement, the e-commerce platform helps the start-up online shop by promoting its products to customers. In exchange, the affiliate gets a percentage of sales generated from the platform. With this option, you don’t need to make any upfront payment. That’s because affiliates are paid via commissions. This makes it really convenient for the seller.

However, you need to find an affiliate network that goes well with your product genre or niche. Moreover, you have to find an affiliate who has an audience that is made up of your potential customers. Affiliate networks also provide you with a tracking system. This makes it easier to track how much sales are generated from which marketing tactics.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT AFFILIATE PROGRAM TO WORK WITH

 

3. Make It Convenient for Your Buyer

Service plays a significant role in influencing a buyer following. Because you don’t have a physical store, your online store’s service needs to be excellent. Only in this way will you attract a high customer following.

In other words, the easier it is for your buyers to navigate and make a purchase, the more sales you’ll get. Online buyers prefer to deal with online sellers who are legitimate, fun to shop with, and easy to transact with. Here are some ways to make the life of buyers a whole lot easier:

  • Offer free delivery for a minimum purchase.
  • Automate the delivery process so users can track the shipment.
  • Provide different payment options such as cash on delivery, PayPal, credit card, and others.
  • Allow same-day delivery in select cities.
  • Have a user-friendly interface on your e-commerce shop.
  • Make a simple check-out process. Keep the buying process short with as few steps as possible.
  • Excel in customer service.
  • Provide easy navigation in your online store.

online selling

 

4. Maintain Good Communication and Fast Responses

Establish good communication with your customers. That is, ensure quick and efficient responses to online messages. And address all buyers’ concerns as quickly as you can.

Word about poor communication in your store can spread quickly on the Internet. Moreover, this can affect your online selling business. Therefore, strive to provide the best possible service. In this way, you’ll get good feedback and reviews in your online store. Consequently, you will increase your credibility among your customers. This can only lead to more online selling.

 

5. Provide an Engaging Website Design

Lastly, provide an aesthetically engaging website design. When your customers visit your website, especially for the first time, you need to captivate and capture their interest immediately. Additionally, visual appearance is also a very important factor that buyers consider in judging whether or not your store is legitimate or if they should make a purchase.

 

Follow These Tips to Achieve Success with Online Selling

To become successful with online selling, you need to have good e-commerce affiliates and provide high-quality products, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer service. Whether your store is online or a brick-and-mortar one, following these tips will guide you to have a successful business. It might take a lot of time, work, and investment, but it will all be worth it in the end.

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5 Tips for Generating Income as an Ecommerce Affiliate

December 29, 2018 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Online selling is currently a trend that you may want to catch up on. Numerous sellers and retailers who began early are now reaping the benefits of online selling.

Nowadays, it’s no longer enough to be on eBay or Etsy to have a successful online shop. There is a plethora of stores on these mainstream websites. Therefore, it can be challenging for customers to find your product. The trick is to locate other online selling platforms that can provide your product great exposure.

Here are five tips for becoming successful with online selling.

 

1. Focus on a Specific Product

As an online seller, you need to be clear on what product category you’re going into. Then focus just on that. Refrain from having too many different and unrelated products in your shop. This will only confuse your customers. Instead, create your online shop so that it has a uniform theme and feel.

On the Internet, there is a vast array of products and shops for consumers to choose from. To fare well in the ecommerce industry, you need to be selling something that is unique. In other words, you need a product that stands out from the competition. This could be in terms of price, product features, or promotion.

For instance, if you want to champion in price, you can provide a high-quality product without charging an arm and a leg for it. For product features, you can add a few features to your product to make it more interesting. Promotion and marketing play a significant role in making sure your product flies. To learn more about how to improve your marketing strategy, head to journal-reviews for some pro tips.

 

2. Start Affiliate Ecommerce Marketing

Affiliate e-commerce marketing is a partnership between an established e-commerce platform and an online shop. In this arrangement, the e-commerce platform helps the start-up online shop by promoting its products to customers. In exchange, the affiliate gets a percentage of sales generated from the platform. With this option, you don’t need to make any upfront payment. That’s because affiliates are paid via commissions. This makes it really convenient for the seller.

However, you need to find an affiliate network that goes well with your product genre or niche. Moreover, you have to find an affiliate who has an audience that is made up of your potential customers. Affiliate networks also provide you with a tracking system. This makes it easier to track how much sales are generated from which marketing tactics.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE RIGHT AFFILIATE PROGRAM TO WORK WITH

 

3. Make It Convenient for Your Buyer

Service plays a significant role in influencing a buyer following. Because you don’t have a physical store, your online store’s service needs to be excellent. Only in this way will you attract a high customer following.

In other words, the easier it is for your buyers to navigate and make a purchase, the more sales you’ll get. Online buyers prefer to deal with online sellers who are legitimate, fun to shop with, and easy to transact with. Here are some ways to make the life of buyers a whole lot easier:

  • Offer free delivery for a minimum purchase.
  • Automate the delivery process so users can track the shipment.
  • Provide different payment options such as cash on delivery, PayPal, credit card, and others.
  • Allow same-day delivery in select cities.
  • Have a user-friendly interface on your e-commerce shop.
  • Make a simple check-out process. Keep the buying process short with as few steps as possible.
  • Excel in customer service.
  • Provide easy navigation in your online store.

online selling

 

4. Maintain Good Communication and Fast Responses

Establish good communication with your customers. That is, ensure quick and efficient responses to online messages. And address all buyers’ concerns as quickly as you can.

Word about poor communication in your store can spread quickly on the Internet. Moreover, this can affect your online selling business. Therefore, strive to provide the best possible service. In this way, you’ll get good feedback and reviews in your online store. Consequently, you will increase your credibility among your customers. This can only lead to more online selling.

 

5. Provide an Engaging Website Design

Lastly, provide an aesthetically engaging website design. When your customers visit your website, especially for the first time, you need to captivate and capture their interest immediately. Additionally, visual appearance is also a very important factor that buyers consider in judging whether or not your store is legitimate or if they should make a purchase.

 

Follow These Tips to Achieve Success with Online Selling

To become successful with online selling, you need to have good e-commerce affiliates and provide high-quality products, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer service. Whether your store is online or a brick-and-mortar one, following these tips will guide you to have a successful business. It might take a lot of time, work, and investment, but it will all be worth it in the end.

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Small Businesses Add Jobs, Google Announces New Direction for Business Messaging

December 28, 2018 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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We don’t aim to read the tea leaves here, but it’s hard not to speculate.

This week, we reported on the most recent employment numbers from ADP. In the small business sector, 46,000 jobs were added in November 2018. Franchise businesses added 11,500 jobs in the same time.

Those are both healthy figures. And any new job added to the economy is a victory on its own.

But check out this other data from the 2018 Bank Of America Small Business Owner Report. It says 82% of small businesses are struggling to find the right talent for open jobs.

So, if you think about that alongside that new jobs data, you start to wonder: how long will it be before many of those new hires are replaced?

That’s just some of the news this holiday week. In the new year, let’s hope those jobs numbers keep going up and that small business owners get better at making hiring decisions.

Until then, check out the rest of the week in small business news in our weekly roundup below.

Technology Trends

Google Announces Shutdown of Allo App, Makes New Plans for Business Messaging

When it comes to search, Google has no equal, but the company just doesn’t seem to get messaging right. The shutting down of Allo two years after it was announced at I/O 2016 is the latest example. Allo App is Shutting Down Google officially announced it is shutting down Allo after pausing further investment in the app earlier this year.

Marketing Tips

Top 5 Small Business Marketing Automation Trends of 2019

In 2019, the top performing content marketing teams will have expert knowledge in marketing technology. That’s not a bold prediction – it’s the results of CMI’s latest benchmark report surveying the content marketing industry. But it’s important to also note that those top performing marketers aren’t using technology to simply put their marketing on autopilot.

Small Business Loans

Better Credit Gets Your Business Up to 20 Times the Loan Money, Report Says

Small and big banks, institutional and alternative lenders, and credit unions have been approving more small business loans in the past couple of years. However, your credit score will greatly determine the terms on which you will be getting the loan, this according to a new report by Fundera. This can mean getting up to 20 times more funding if you have a creditworthy business.

Small Business Operations

Anchor  Bookkeeping Offers Digital Accounting with Added Services for Small Businesses

With the 2019 tax season fast approaching, you may be looking for an easier way to file your small business tax return. Anchor Bookkeeping looks to solve this problem by offering a new digital accounting service with personalized features including in-house bookkeepers and CPA-approved financial statements.

Social Media

The Best 2018 Facebook Trends for Small Business

Facebook is the world’s most popular social network. So businesses should pay constant attention to the platform and its changing features. This year, the social media giant saw many updates that could impact small business users. 2018 Facebook Trends Here are the statistics and headlines that you should be aware of. Facebook Popularity Facebook has more than 2.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “Small Businesses Add Jobs, Google Announces New Direction for Business Messaging” was first published on Small Business Trends



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We’re Getting a Full-Size Commodore 64 in 2019

December 28, 2018 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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It will include a working keyboard and, hopefully, fix all the problems the C64 Mini had.


December
28, 2018

2 min read


This story originally appeared on PCMag

There was much excitement back in 2017 when a C64 Mini got announced. However, the version that hit store shelves wasn’t without its problems, most notably the poor joystick. It did include 64 games and could run BASIC, but the keyboard didn’t function meaning you needed to plug another one in to type. An almost great release then, but not the end of the story.

Retro Games Ltd., who gave us the C64 Mini, this week revealed we’re getting a follow-up device. This time it’s a full-size Commodore 64 complete with a working keyboard!

Related: Inspiring Quotes From ’80s and ’90s Movies

On Christmas Eve, the first photos of a working prototype were posted on Facebook. The images reveal an early version of the Commodore 64 direct from the manufacture and “small modifications” are likely. There is no release date yet beyond 2019, but with the pre-production prototype already created it will hopefully appear before the summer.

Retro Games isn’t revealing the final spec just yet, but I’m confident they will have taken into account all the complaints and feedback received about the C64 Mini. It’s also pointed out in the Facebook post how much the Mini has been improved by recent firmware updates. At the very least that shows they are listening, which bodes well for the full-size Commodore 64.

Related: The Most Successful Companies Led By Entrepreneurs

For now, the C64 Mini can be picked up for just $50. As the next model is much larger and includes a functioning keyboard I expect it to cost more than the $79.99 price point the Mini launched at. If they can keep the price below $100 then it should do well and entice many Mini owners to make the upgrade.

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Instagram Accidentally Made Users’ Feeds Scroll Horizontally

December 28, 2018 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Instagram gave your feed the stories treatment.


December
28, 2018

3 min read


This story originally appeared on Engadget

If you opened up Instagram today and found that your timeline orientation was totally switched, you weren’t alone. It appears that quite a few users had a timeline that moved left to right, where posts could be tapped through as they can be in stories. When the new timeline appeared, Instagram surfaced a notice that said, “Introducing a New Way to Move Through Posts,” and told users to tap through to see their posts. However, it seems that this may have been another short test rather than a permanent change to Instagram’s feed.

Related: The 10 Best Instagram Tools for 2019

Rumors about such a move circulated in October, though at the time it looked like the feature would be limited to the Explore tab. “We’re always testing ways to improve the experience on Instagram and bring you closer to the people and things you love,” a spokesperson told TechCrunch in October. And they added that introducing the change into the main feed wasn’t something the company was actively considering at that point.

It’s unclear just how many people had the new feed, but the Independent reported that Instagram users around the world had received it. And many spoke out online about the change.

Hey, @instagram… I never want to sideways-scroll through my timeline. Ever. Please stop testing this “feature” on my account. Thanks.

— Scott Neumyer (@ScottNeumyer) December 27, 2018

A number of us at Engadget had the new feed orientation as well, though for some people, the new feature didn’t reach all of their accounts. And for at least one of our editors, their feed switched back and forth between the new view and the standard view. It seems this update was another quick test that Instagram has already concluded. We’ve reached out to Instagram for more information and we’ll update this post when we know more.

Related: The Most Successful Companies Led By Entrepreneurs 

Update, 12/27/18, 11:08 AM ET: This story’s headline and copy have been updated to reflect that this may be another short-term test instead of a permanent change.

Update, 12/27/18, 11:20 AM ET: Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, tweeted today that the sideways scroll feature was supposed to just be a small-scale test, but the company accidentally extended it to more users than it intended to. If you still have the sideways scroll and you want to revert back to the normal view, just restart the app. We’ve updated this story’s headline and copy to reflect this information.

Instagram’s NEW tap-to-view post feed…

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) December 27, 2018



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Don’t Panic! You’ve Got Several Different Ways to Pay for an Emergency

December 28, 2018 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Image Credit: Pixabay on Pexels

There are unhappy events that happen in life and in your business that you simply can’t plan for. Because of this reason, having a specially dedicated emergency fund is always wise. However, it is often hard to plan for that kind of saving.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: THE SELF-EMPLOYED BUSINESS OWNER’S GUIDE TO SAVING FOR RETIREMENT

 

How can you pay for an emergency if you haven’t done the necessary saving and planning? Luckily, there are a few options at your disposal. The following suggestions could help if you should come across an expensive personal, business, or family emergency in the future.

 

Use a Credit Card

One option at your disposal is to depend on your credit. That is, you could use a credit card to pay for the emergency.

The positive aspect of using a credit card is that the credit is already readily available to you. Moreover, you can pay for whatever you need quickly. However, this is only true if you have enough credit available to pay for your emergency.

The one thing to keep in mind, though, is that using credit cards to pay for emergencies can be risky. First, you run the risking of maxing out your cards. That means that you will use all the credit available to you on a given card. This will affect your ability to use your credit card going forward. Moreover, it will affect your credit score.

So before you reach for the plastic, do a little soul-searching. Is what you’re facing a true emergency? In other words, is someone’s life or health at stake? If so, go ahead and use that card.

If, on the other hand, what you’re facing is merely an uncomfortable situation, but not an emergency, perhaps it would be better to stop and think things through. After all, you certainly don’t want to get in over your head with credit card debt if you don’t have to. That can get really expensive really fast.

 

Take out a Personal Loan

Personal loans are unsecured loans that are available to those who enjoy a good credit score based on a history of responsible borrowing. With excellent credit, you can get a low-interest personal loan to pay for your emergency.

However, while a personal loan can be a relatively less expensive form of borrowing, you are still taking on debt. And debt can be a burden on your other finances going forward. If you truly need it, however, and you can qualify for a personal loan, this is definitely a viable option.

Just make sure that you understand the terms of the loan. If you’re financially responsible, a personal loan can be a great option in an emergency.

 

Borrow from Family or Friends

One option that might be available to you is to ask your family or close friends to lend you the money in your time of need. This can be embarrassing to consider. However, if you are truly in need, this might be your best option.

One major benefit is that friends and family are less likely to charge interest on the money they lend you. A clear downside of borrowing from relatives or friends, however, is that it can put a serious strain on your relationship, especially if you have trouble repaying the loan. On top of that, if the person you borrow from should ever need money themselves down the road, you might not be able to say no to lending them money in return.

 

Redraw Your Mortgage

A redraw facility allows you to borrow money that you’ve already repaid on a mortgage. These companies typically offer variable interest rate loans. You might be able to take out a fairly large loan if you have been paying on your mortgage for a while. Moreover, this type of loan allows some flexibility with how you repay the loan.

The issue with redrawing your loan is that if you continue to borrow against the amount of money you have put toward your house, you won’t get closer to paying off your mortgage. In fact, you can actually get further away, considering the interest you will be accruing over time.

 

Take out a Car Title Loan

Another option when you need to pay for an emergency is to take out a car title loan. This is particularly useful for individuals who own their car outright but who do not enjoy a high credit score.

Car title loans are secured loans that are based on the value of your car and the equity you have in that car. Typically, car title loans range from around $200 to $2,000.

emergency

There are risks attached to using a car title loan to pay for an emergency, however. First off, car title loans have very high interest rates. Secondly, car title loans are secured loans that use your car as collateral. That means that if you fail to pay off your loan within the (often very short) repayment term, you run the risk of losing your car to repossession. However, if you believe this is your best option, here is a lender that provides car title loans.

 

Try to Stay Calm When You’re Faced with an Emergency

There are a number of options available to you if an unfortunate emergency should demand money that you simply do not have. The option that is best for you depends on the nature of the emergency, the cost of it, and your specific situation. Hopefully, the list here will help.

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‘Shark Tank’s’ Barbara Corcoran Says She Built Her Business ‘Almost Like a Man’

December 26, 2018 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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December
26, 2018

5 min read


This story originally appeared on GOBankingRates

Real estate mogul and business expert Barbara Corcoran started The Corcoran Group when she was just 23. Despite launching her company at a time when the business world was largely an old boys’ club, she managed to grow it into one of the top real estate firms in New York City. I sat down with the Shark Tank star to find out how she did it, and get her advice for any other young women looking to launch a successful business themselves.

Barbara Corcoran grew up with a powerful role model for how to run a business: her mother.

Related: Get Salary Negotiating Tips From Ellen Pompeo, One of the Highest Paid Women on TV

“Everything had its place,” the Amazon Business Prime American Express Card spokesperson said about how her mother ran the household. “If she did something more than once, she created a system, almost like a manufacturing person. And she was a wonderful motivator. So she was, in a real way, a great coach [and] leader.”

Corcoran credits the lessons she learned from her mother and her intrinsic desire to succeed as the driving forces behind the success of The Corcoran Group.

“A lot of people think you have to have a lot of knowledge to start a business,” she said. “I had something far more important than that — I had a dream. I had a clear image of who I wanted to be: I wanted to be the queen of New York real estate.”

She didn’t let the fact that it was mostly men who were sitting at the top of many major companies stop her from figuring out how to achieve a dream career.

“The world was owned by the old boys, rich guys that had inherited their businesses from their father and their father before,” said Corcoran. “But somehow in my little mind I thought, ‘I’m going to be the queen of this town in real estate.’ And I moved toward it and moved toward it until one day I was written up in New York magazine, and they called me ‘the queen of New York real estate.’”

Related: Why Quitting My 6-Figure Job Was the Best Decision for My Family

The Shark Tank star said she would not have been able to become a success in the business world if she hadn’t waited until later in life to start a family.

“When I built my business, I built it almost like a man,” said Corcoran. “I had no children, I didn’t have a marriage, and I hyper-focused on building my business from the time I was 23. So in a real way I had no other concerns. I had my first child at 46, and I can tell you, once I started my family I could have never built the business I built if I had been a mother early. I just wouldn’t have had the concentration, I wouldn’t have had the total dedication. I would have been equally inspired to be a phenomenal mother, and that’s a division of labor, thought and a division of your heart.”

The mogul advises any other aspiring small business owners to make sure they have a plan in place to deal with a limited cash flow when getting their company up and running.

“Here’s what goes on with a small business: You have big dreams, you want to push forward, your sales are increasing — and what gets in the way is cash flow,” she said. “You just can’t seem to make enough money to make it through the next three months relative to what your expenses are. It puts people out of business. [A business credit card like] the Amazon Business American Express card eliminates that possibility, because in essence, it operates almost as a standing credit line for a small business owner. That’s phenomenal.”

Related: 3 Helpful Subscription Services, According to This Successful Mompreneur

Corcoran hopes to inspire other young women who want to start their own business to follow their passion.

“My best tip if you’re a young, working woman is dream about what you want to do, and find a way to do it,” she said. “The only sad people I’ve ever met in life are the people who wish they shoulda, woulda, coulda. You don’t want to be one of those. The best motivation in the world is just to open yourself up to life and say, ‘What do I really want to do? What do I really dream about? How the heck am I going to get there?’ And take a shot at it. You have to go out and grab what you can. You only go around once.”

Click through for more advice from your money champion on how to live a richer life.



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How to Negotiate a Service Level Agreement for Your IT Business

December 26, 2018 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Service Level Agreement Best Practices for Your IT Business

An SLA, or service level agreement, is an essential part of entering into any new service contract, especially for IT businesses. Whenever you gain a new client or vendor, this agreement is there to make sure all parties involved know exactly what to expect out of the relationship and what will happen if those expectations are not met. Negotiating this agreement is an important is vital for keeping terms as favorable as possible for your small IT business, while also protecting your other stakeholders.

Service Level Agreement Best Practices

Start with a Standard SLA

Though each SLA for your business may end up a bit different, you need a basic starting point. You can work with a legal representative to craft a basic template for find a template to start with online.

Alter Agreements for Different Situations

From there, you should change up the specific verbiage so it’s applicable to different situations. If you offer different levels of service, then you should craft a few different SLA templates to use for those specific situations. If not, you can simply update your basic SLA for each new opportunity so that it’s most applicable to that particular stakeholder.

Speak with All Stakeholders

It’s important to get input from anyone throughout your organization who may be impacted by your new agreement. Consult with your customer support or technical team to make sure you’re able to deliver on promises made in the agreement. Talk to investors or bookkeepers about rates. Be sure to get a comfortable range from each relevant party so you know what is possible during the negotiation period.

Seek Legal Advice

It’s also a good idea to consult with an attorney to make sure your agreement actually covers you in the case of any incident. It should be a solid contract that protects all parties involved. So an experienced professional can make sure you don’t leave any holes that leave your IT business vulnerable.

Leave a Safe Margin

It’s also important to consider your vendor contracts in context with your client contracts. Clearly, you cannot sell a product or service at cost and expect to sustain your business. So you need to leave some kind of margin to protect your business and support your operations.

Dan Goldstein, director of marketing for GMS Live Expert, a 24/7 Outsourced Help Desk and NOC for MSPs, said in an email interview with Small Business Trends, “When reselling services (help desk, NOC, SOC) or products with support contracts in place it is best to leverage your suppliers SLAs with a built in margin of safety.”

Pay Attention to Details

But SLAs aren’t just about the rates and the big picture stuff. They can also include smaller details that have the potential to impact your business. So if you’re provided with an SLA or yours is amended, you need to read through the entire thing carefully.

Include Incentives for Surpassing Expectations

SLAs shouldn’t just be about specifying what happens if something goes wrong. They can also include incentives or details that reward exceptional performance. These details can help to ensure that there’s always a reason for the service provider to continue delivering the best possible service even if the basic terms of the agreement have been met.

Don’t Be Afraid to Move On

SLAs are there to protect all parties involved. If the other party insists on terms that don’t leave you any margin or that you’re not comfortable with, then they’re probably not right for your business. Don’t force agreements into existence if it’s not a good fit.

Goldstein says, “If an opportunity requires you to stretch an SLA beyond your comfort zone, it’s likely best to move on.”

Monitor Performance

Once an SLA is signed, it’s important that you actually track your metrics so you can be sure you’re receiving and delivering what was promised. For instance, if you promise a very small amount of downtime for your service, then you need to carefully monitor that downtime and have alerts set when you get close to the limit so that you don’t go over.

Update SLAs Regularly

Throughout the years, your vendors, services and other aspects of your business are likely to change. So it’s important that your SLA can be amended from time to time. Leave room for updates and then set periodic reminders to review your standard agreements to make sure they’re up to date with your current practices.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “How to Negotiate a Service Level Agreement for Your IT Business” was first published on Small Business Trends



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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Small Business Trends

December 25, 2018 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Happy Holidays from Small Business Trends

Merry Christmas to all our Small Business Trends readers.

At this time of year, we reflect on the many people who regularly visit this site or who follow our updates on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Thank you for your support. You make it all worthwhile.

A big thank you from our Small Business Trends team — Staci, Leland, Shawn, Joshua, Matt, Amanda and Val.  And thanks to the small business experts who devote so much of their time and expertise to this community.  You’re outstanding!

Happy Holidays From Small Business Trends

A special greeting goes out to our readers from non-English language countries as well — at least the countries that I know of who visit our site.

We wish you Feliz Navidad; Buon Natale; Froehliche Weihnachten; God Jul; Boas Festas; Craciun Fericit; Joyeux Noel; Nollaig Shona Dhuit; Mele Kalikimaka; Nadolig LLawen; Kung His Hsin Nien; Glaedelig Jul; Kung Ho Hsin His; Vrolijk Kerstfeest; Pozdravlyau s prazdnikom Rozhdestva!

Those are holiday greetings in Spanish, Italian, German, Swedish/Norwegian, Brazilian Portuguese, Romanian, French, Irish Gaelic, Hawaiian, Welsh, Mandarin Chinese, Danish, Hong Kong Chinese, Dutch and Russian respectively.

And to all our readers who do not celebrate Christian holidays, we extend a warm winter greeting:

Shalom; Namaste; Salaam; Pleasant Winter Solstice.

We’ll be back tomorrow bright and early with more small business news, advice and tips for you.

Until then:

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All

Image: Shutterstock

This article, “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Small Business Trends” was first published on Small Business Trends



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Happy Holidays! Ways to Plan for the Holidays for Your Small Business 

December 24, 2018 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

Happy holidays!

Holidays mean big sales for small businesses. Consumers often spend a lot for holiday celebrations, as well as special foods and gifts. So take advantage of each holiday season as it comes around by setting up your small business for success.

There are multiple holidays that come around year after year. Think Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah, just for starters. Then add in New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and all the rest. Preparing your business for all of these happy holidays will allow you to attract more sales throughout each year.

happy holidays 1

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In the world of online business, plan for the holidays for your small business by staying active on social media. Use the platforms where your customers hang out to prepare your target audience for upcoming holidays. Inform them of new products and holiday deals you’re offering. Encourage them to share your products and services across their networks using Facebook share code.

Here are some other ways you can plan for the holidays:

 

1. Set Reminders

So that you never forget to plan for a holiday, make sure that every holiday has a reminder in your phone or elsewhere. Business schedules and operations can be quite busy even during quiet seasons. It can easy to let a holiday sneak up on you.

Therefore, give yourself reminders for each holiday so that you can plan seasonal content for each one. Early planning will help you to increase your profitability.

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2. Give Holiday Deals

Holiday deals are an excellent way of attracting more clients. For example, plan for Christmas sales, Black Friday events, Cyber Monday deals, and New Year promotions. Prepare your marketing campaigns early enough to make the most of each holiday season.

You will boost your sales significantly by reducing prices for your products and services during these special times. Moreover, you will be giving your customers happy holidays through these special deals. What’s more, you’ll enjoy some happy holidays yourself as a result.

 

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3. Reward Your Clients

Reward your clients by giving out promotional products as well as promo codes and coupons. Such deals will make your clients feel appreciated and will also boost your sales.

happy holidays 4

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Also consider free shipping or free deliveries to reward your clients. This is an excellent way to reward your clients during the festive season. It shows your clients they are valued.

 

4. Take Advantage of Promo or Sales Videos

Use videos to promote your products, your services, and your business. Videos allow you to harness the power of the Internet and maximize on what it has to offer, especially at the holidays. Today, with platforms such as Promo you can create your own marketing videos. You just add your message and logo to their already-edited and high-quality videos. Make a customized video, share it, and attract more clients.

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5. Stay Active

Plan for happy holidays by staying active on social media. Take time to answer client queries and address customers’ concerns. Above all, keep your pages active.

Remember, these are clients who love to make purchases from the comfort of their homes. Therefore, be sure to make on-time deliveries during the season. Moreover, encourage them to check out your pages for holiday deals.

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RELATED ARTICLE: SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING WILL HELP YOU TO HUMANIZE YOUR BRAND

 

6. Rely on Email Marketing

Email marketing may seem old-fashioned but it is one of the best and most effective marketing strategies. What’s more, it is sure to remain relevant for years to come. Therefore, send personal emails to your clients. In your messages, create stories that relate to your business. Additionally, remember to thank your clients for their continued loyalty and support. Most importantly, include a call to action.

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You can also include a coupon code in your emails. This will keep your clients interested in your business. Think promotion, festive content, and holiday campaign strategies.

 

7. Use Banners to Say Happy Holidays

Decorate your storefront using banners, and do the same on your website. Nothing says happy holidays more effectively than colorful decorations.

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For example, make use of Christmas trees, Valentine’s Day gift packages, and other holiday-related decorations to decorate your business premises. This will attract clients who will want to find out more about the types of products and services you provide.

 

Plan Ahead for Happy Holidays

In short, whatever the season, plan ahead for the next happy holidays and bring bright sales into your business.

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