As the owner of a small business, you know that getting everything right is key to a smooth operation. Shipping mistakes that result in late or damaged shipments can mean the difference between happy customers (and profit) and big losses.

Many small businesses, though, make mistakes when it comes to shipping that ultimately cost them time and money. It can be easy to overlook these mistakes. Often, they don’t even appear to be that big of a deal—that is, until something happens that causes a major headache.

But being aware of these mistakes and taking steps to avoid them can keep your operation on the right track and keep your customers happy.

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Avoid Making These Shipping Mistakes in Your Business

Using the Wrong Packaging

When was the last time you evaluated your packaging process and materials? Have you ever consulted with a packaging professional? If you ship fragile or sensitive items, do you use sensors like temperature indicators or impact sensors to monitor shipments?

Using the incorrect packaging for your shipments, or failing to invest in tools to help protect them, could end up costing your business more than you expect. You may be paying more because the packaging is larger or heavier than necessary. Or your packing process may be leaving things unprotected and susceptible to damage. Many carriers have started denying damage claims related to incorrect packaging. Therefore, it’s worth reassessing your packaging protocols to ensure everything is safe and secure.

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Making the Mistake of Relying on Only One Shipping Partner

Although loyalty to shipping partners is often rewarded, when it comes to your business this can be a mistake. You shouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Shipping is, by nature, unpredictable. There are any number of reasons that your go-to company may be unable to meet your needs. Maintaining a stable of reliable shippers and splitting your shipments among them is a smarter and less risky move. This will allow you more flexibility while still getting your products into customers’ hands.

Not Accounting for All Costs

When you’re new to shipping, or you make changes to your shipping processes, you might initially be surprised by your bill—and not in a good way. Although you might initially receive a quote based on the weight and destination of the freight, other factors can drive up the costs. Some of these include the dimensions of your pallets and packaging, hazardous materials fees, customs fees, and fees for refused shipments or shipments that need to be stored for any reason. Even if you expect these fees, and have them budgeted into your shipping costs, making mistakes with classifying and weighing your shipments can cost you big.

On the other hand, many businesses try to reduce shipping costs by designating their shipments as the lowest possible class. However, if your shipment doesn’t meet the requirements for that particular shipping class, the shipper will make note of that mistake and reclassify the shipment. This typically means an increase in the shipping costs, as well as a fee for the reclassifying itself.

The same goes for inaccurate weights. Shippers weigh all cargo at their terminals. If you have improperly weighed or estimated your shipment, they will tack on additional charges, as well as a fee for your underestimation.

With that in mind, it’s worth investing in an accurate scale. Moreover, be careful not to make the mistake of selecting the wrong shipping class. A higher class of service may be more expensive up front. However, when you account for penalties and upgrades, it’s likely to be cheaper in the long run.

Not Implementing (and Following) Inbound Freight Procedures

It’s not only outbound freight that can cost your business time and money. Inbound freight can also be costly, especially if what you receive is damaged or you don’t receive everything you ordered. Failing to implement a freight acceptance procedure that includes a full inspection of the delivery before the driver leaves can mean major headaches and costs while you make a claim.

Before signing for any delivery, examine every package in the shipment for outward signs of damage. Also, photograph any damage or shortages and note them on the delivery receipt. After accepting the shipment, thoroughly examine the contents right away to determine whether there are damages or shortages that were not immediately apparent. If so, you only have a few days to make a claim. That’s why a defined procedure and a commitment to following it on every shipment is so important.

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Conclusion

Often these shipping mistakes are innocent, and again, frequently business owners don’t even realize they have made an error until there is a problem. But by taking steps now to prevent these errors, you can protect your bottom line going forward.

Perhaps pre-pandemic you took out a loan in order to take advantage of a promising business opportunity. But then the economy started to slip and your business income dropped off, too. Suddenly can no longer afford the loan payments. Here are some suggestions that can help you get back on track and keep your business afloat.

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Things in life don’t always go as planned. A downward economy can negatively affect many people, including you.

So maybe right now you’re wondering, “How can I keep up with my online installment loan payments?” or, “What happens if I don’t pay?”

Fortunately, there are actions you can take, but you’ll have to move fast to minimize your risk of falling deeper into debt. The longer you wait the more you’ll risk damaging your finances. 

There are certain strategies you can follow that will help you get back on track with your loans. Believe it or not, you can get your installment loan payments under control and relieve some of your stress. 

What Happens When You Fail to Pay Your Installment Loans?

First, it’s important to know about the worst-case scenario: what could happen if you fail to pay your installment payments.

What happens is, you default on your loan. This means you will end up owing more money due to fees, interest charges, and penalties. All of these start building up in your account by the day.

Your credit score also takes a plunge when you don’t repay your lenders. Sure, you can rebuild your credit and start all over again, but it might take quite a few years. 

You don’t have to worry about ending up in debtors’ prisons. They don’t exist anymore. However, if you can’t keep up with your loan payments, you should keep your eye out for legal documents about a potential court appearance.

Yes, it can be frustrating, but there’s no need to worry about all this. That’s because there are steps you can take to ensure that you don’t end up in that position. 

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What You Should Do First

Negotiate with your lender. You probably still have some time before your next due date. Therefore, if you foresee that soon you won’t be able to afford your loan payments, what you can do is talk to your lender directly.

They might be able to provide you with some options. For instance, they may reduce or temporarily suspend your loan payments, change your due date, or lower your payment for a certain time.

Keep in mind, however, that you’ll have to explain to your lenders why you can’t make the payments. David Winfield of Simple Fast Loans says, “Some lenders may ask you to provide them with proof that you’re unable to pay your installment loan.”

How to Manage Your Loan Payments

To manage your payments, you’ll need to prioritize them. You surely don’t want to get evicted from your home or have your car taken away from you.

You will have to make a decision on which loans to keep paying installments on and which to stop.

In most cases, you would probably choose to keep making payments on your house and your auto loan. However, the rest would have to get cut. Credit cards, unsecured loans, and any other smaller personal loans would all have to wait.

Another option would be to make your installment loan payment slightly late. Of course, it’s better to pay your installment loan payments on time. But if it’s not possible for you, the worse that could happen is damaging your credit score. 

Keep in mind, if you pay the installment on your loan within 30 days of the due date, it might even not get reported to the credit bureaus.

With your safety and health as a priority, make a list of your payments. Then choose wisely which loans you need to keep paying. 

Consolidate Your Debt

By seeking a different debt consolidation loan you might be able to alleviate your stress because these loans offer lower interest costs and lower required payment. Also, they give you more time to repay.

You can still apply for a new loan if you haven’t started missing payments. Lenders approve those who are on schedule with their installments. 

Begin by applying at banks, community credit unions, and online lenders for unsecured loans. It’s best to apply simultaneously so that you minimize your credit damage and choose the best offer.

Turn to Income-Based Repayment

You might be able to lower your monthly loan payments with an income-based repayment program. 

These are programs that help keep payments affordable. It’s a great way to ease the burden off your loan installments. Lenders see if your monthly income is extremely low and provide you with an extremely low installment to pay each month.

Seek Credit Counseling

If you need other solutions tailored to your specific needs, then you can seek out credit counseling. 

At credit counseling, they deal with everyday consumers who are in trouble with their installment loan payments. They can come up with solutions that you haven’t thought of before.

You can get this service for free in some cases, but make sure the service is free before you apply for counseling.

Start your search with the NFCC (National Foundation for Credit Counseling). Before you reach an agreement, ask for their fees and terms.

File for Bankruptcy

Another option, which may seem too far-fetched, is to file for bankruptcy. More on this in this video:

It’s a strategy you can take action toward if you’re in dire need of financial stability and want to solve your loan payment problems.

Bankruptcy might be right for you, if:

• Reaching agreements with your creditors has failed. 
• Your debt is far beyond your income.
• Wage garnishments are leaving you with nothing.

Get Back on Track with Your Loan Payments

There are solutions to any problem and that counts for loan repayments as well. 

Whether you need to manage your savings and finances or earn more money, you can always find ways to get back on your feet. 

Follow the advice above and you will be on the right track to getting help for a stressful situation.

On another note, it’s also very practical to learn how to increase your savings, spend your money more wisely, and invest in opportunities that will improve your financial position in the long run.

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It can be tough to navigate the sea of SaaS companies that flood the SEO industry today. This is why knowing about LinkGraph’s excellent services is helpful. In this post, we investigate this company’s services.

Let LinkGraph Help You with Your SEO

When you own an online business, search engines’ algorithms can be a tough concept to understand and keep up with. You already have so many tasks to complete in your day-to-day operations. The job of optimizing your website and social media profiles is almost too intimidating to even approach. This is where LinkGraph can help.

SEO is the most effective tactic for increasing a company’s Google rank and brand awareness. Google is the world’s most trusted search engine. This is why how your website ranks on Google’s search results is so important.

Using specific SEO tools while designing or restructuring your company’s website can guarantee it will have high placements on search engine results pages. The rise in the use of SEO tools has been accompanied by the emergence of SEO companies that help business managers optimize their search results.

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What Makes a Good SEO Company?

The best SEO companies are not only highly experienced in search engine optimization. They must also be proficient in web page optimization for mobile devices. They must be experts in digital marketing and high-quality content creation. Further, they must be great at creating social media campaigns and conducting niche keyword research. They should also be proficient with administering content audits and managing effective lead generation. All of these SEO strategies can have a big effect on your website’s domain authority and your ranking in search results.

SEO companies such as LinkGraph are often referred to as SaaS companies. SaaS stands for “software as a service.” This is software that is licensed to users on a subscription basis. LinkGraph is a SaaS company that specializes in helping businesses optimize their websites for search engines. When your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) strategies are working properly, search engines can find it. More importantly, customers and potential customers can find your business.

A SaaS SEO company acts as an SEO content optimizer. These companies work to identify your target audience so their editorial team can perform effective audits on your website’s landing page. Then they add niche keywords and other social signals to your site to drive organic traffic from the search engine results pages (SERPs).

How Is LinkGraph Different from Other SEO Companies?

LinkGraph is an SEO company that leads the pack among other SaaS companies today. Their SEO software, link building, web design, and content creation strategies are second to none. LinkGraph prioritizes your business’s growth, and they strive to increase organic traffic to your web page with their SEO campaigns.

LinkGraph’s SEO services start with an audit of your web page. During this audit, they search for bad backlinks as well as find places to add keywords and other relevant content. These improvements will boost your site’s ranking on Google’s search results.

It can be tough to navigate the sea of SaaS companies that flood the SEO industry today. This is why knowing about LinkGraph’s excellent services is helpful. LinkGraph’s content optimizer software and technical SEO tools are what make it stand out among SaaS companies.

Link building is a crucial element in LinkGraph’s site content optimization. Your onsite content metrics correlate directly to its SERPs ranks. What’s more, potential customers will trust a piece of content more when it’s located higher within search engine results.

In general, they’re more likely to visit the web pages at the top of SERPs just because they show up first. This is why LinkGraph’s goal for your site is to directly apply the insights and metric information they gain from their audits. This knowledge helps them create quality content that will increase your domain’s page authority.

High Quality Content Performs Well in Search Engines

LinkGraph can also manage social media advertising and content marketing for your company. LinkGraph’s experienced editorial team generates top quality content marketing. These talented individuals are experts in creating engaging, keyword-based copy. Their writers know that the best way to create high-quality content is to create content that is highly informed.

LinkGraph’s heavily researched keyword analyses allow their editorial team to create copy that is optimized to perform well in search engines.

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Start Improving Your SEO Strategies Today with LinkGraph

LinkGraph offers potential customers a free consultation and free backlink analysis. This is a great way to see how strong your web page’s current backlink profile is, and it will also help LinkGraph perform niche keyword research and lead generation. Implementing both of these SEO tools together is a great way to efficiently and effectively reach your target audience.

Featured photo by mentatdgt from Pexels

It goes without saying that any business requires reliable staff. However, it’s important to hire consciously. This means creating job openings for positions that will strengthen your business. These important hires will push your business forward. Here are five key positions that any business owner should keep in mind when hiring their staff.

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It’s Important to Hire a Lawyer Before You Need One

There are many reasons why a new business might need to employ the services of a lawyer. According to Vikramsinh Parmar, founder of popular lawyer directory website LawTally, hiring a lawyer is often an urgent matter. Moreover, finding one who is competent can be a stressful and challenging task.

Wondering what a lawyer can do for you? A lawyer is an important hire for your business who can:

• Draw up contracts (for employees or business partnerships, for example)
• Register, assist with licensing, and help with acquiring permits for your business
• Make sense of complicated tax laws

Most business transactions involve legal documentation. Additionally, you will often require negotiations to acquire the best deal for your business. Thus, having an expert in legal matters on your payroll is advantageous.

Image from Pixabay

An HR Manager Is an Important Hire

Not everyone always understands the importance of an HR manager within a business. However, their role is crucial when it comes to the organization of a company. Their diverse range of activities includes hiring, creating an onboarding process, handling payroll, professional development, and reducing business costs.

Having someone in charge of these critical duties creates uniformity in the workplace and reduces possible confusion or issues.   

An Accountant Will Help You Manage Your Company’s Finances

A business without proper control of its finances is unlikely to succeed. Thus, hiring someone with a head for numbers is vital for any company. An accountant will keep track of profit and loss margins, of course. But they will also assist with the correct payment of taxes.

Hiring someone who has a critical eye for detail is imperative, especially in the first few years of a business.

Image from Pixabay

Every Modern Business Needs an IT Expert

Almost every business running in the 21st century relies on technology in some way. Most necessary documentation is stored on a computer using various software systems. In particular, making sure your company’s systems have the latest updates and advances in digital technologies can be time-consuming. What’s more, it requires a good deal of expertise.

But not everyone on staff is tech-savvy. Nor does everyone know what to do when their devices act up. This is why having an expert working at your company is essential.

Alternatively, if your business is entirely online, it might be a good idea to hire an offsite IT team. That way, there will always be someone making sure that everything is working at all times.

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Start Recruiting Now

Whether you are thinking of starting a business or have already started it and are looking to grow your staff, keep these four roles in mind. While it might seem like a lot of new hires to take on, they will cut down future costs and hassles.

Featured image by Tumisu from Pixabay

Customers write online reviews to share their experiences, and smart business owners actively solicit as many customer reviews as they can.

We like it when customers have good things to say about our business. However, negative online reviews are a nightmare for many business owners. But they don’t have to be!

A savvy business owner knows that all customer reviews are good reviews—even the negative ones. Here’s why.

You Benefit from Social Proof with Customer Reviews

In our modern world, customers want to know that things work. They don’t trust a business out of hand. Instead, they trust the online reviews real customers have left behind. This is the concept of social proof.

New customers want to know that others have tried and liked your product before they are willing to give it a try themselves. That means you need reviews. The more reviews you have across platforms, especially well-known ones like Yelp, Google, or PissedConsumer.com, the more credibility you have as a vendor, and the more customers will be willing to trust your products.

They Help You Grow Your Online Audience

In many ways, the internet is like high school. Popularity is based on how much people talk about you. So the more chatter there is about you online, the more popular you are with your target audience. Online chatter can happen in many places. We tend to think of social media as the ideal location for conversation, but reviews are just as, if not more, powerful.

You want name recognition, but beyond that you want buyers. When a customer cares enough to leave a review (and almost two-thirds of consumers have left a review for a purchase they enjoyed), they are committing themselves as fans of your business and your brand. When you encourage reviews—even mediocre or negative reviews—you create chatter about your business. Then you can work with the negative online reviews when they appear.

You Can Use Reviews to Interact with Consumers and Amplify Your Brand

According to BrightLocal data, 97 percent of would-be customers read company responses to reviews. Your audience doesn’t just want to see what other customers have to say, they also want to see what you have to say to your customers.

It’s easy to send out a quick thank you to the customer who has said nice things. But what customers are really watching is the actual conversation that can occur with negative online reviews. Nobody likes being the subject of online complaints, but it’s not as bad as you might think.

When a customer posts a question or concern on social media or on a review platform like Yelp or PissedConsumer.com, you have a chance to reply. This is simply the start of a conversation. Give your customer tips and advice. Ask meaningful questions to sort out what the issue might be. And if all else fails, enjoy your public audience for the next step in the process: making it right.

Reviews Give You Opportunities to Demonstrate Exceptional Customer Service

It’s hard to get knocked repeatedly in the eyes of the public. But don’t consider negative customer reviews a public shaming. Think of them as opportunities to showcase your exceptional customer service.

Customers know that no business is perfect. Things go wrong from time to time, and they watch the negative customer reviews closely to see how the company reacts. Don’t drop the ball on this golden opportunity.

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A consumer complains or questions something publicly about your product or service. You reply publicly with ideas or perhaps a link to helpful how-to materials. The customer isn’t doing any better. You then have a chance to publicly state that you stand behind your products and you want to do right by the customer. Ask him to email or call you at a specific number so you can fix it.

If you offer the customer a fair solution—a refund, an updated version, a store credit—then ask them to consider updating the original complaint to show that the issue is resolved. This sends a powerful message to other customers.

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You Can Adjust as Needed Based on Customer Reviews

Complaints aren’t just a chance to demonstrate your responsive and compassionate customer service for a live viewer audience. They are also an excellent source of feedback on the product or service you’re selling.

If you notice a trend of complaints about a particular thing, it should be a red flag. One or two complaints might be a random mistake. Multiple complaints about the same thing is a design flaw. If you are serious about doing business, you can use these complaints as a chance to improve the product or service and try again.

If you update the product or choose to release an improved version, consider contacting the original customers who first complained online. Offer them a chance to sample the revised version in hopes of honest and, hopefully, positive feedback online. Those who left the negative complaints initially may be your best brand ambassadors when they note and praise your improvements publicly.

Conclusion

There are few aspects of running a business that are carefree or that can bear the occasional neglect. Too often, brand marketers will drop the ball on reviews or assume that the good outweighs the bad. Your reviews are your open communication lines to customers. Most customers care more about reviews than they do about advertisements anyhow. So spend your time and energy where it will do the most good—with your customers, on online review platforms.

Featured image by Photographee.eu

As the owner of a painting contractor business, you are only too aware of the unpredictability that goes hand-in-hand with your industry. It’s not only the tools of your trade that can cause serious damage to a client’s home. Also, your employees need to adhere to correct safety protocols to prevent possible injury on the job site.

Nonetheless, when you least expect it, accidents can and do happen. For example, one of your employees might scrape a wall with a ladder. Or worse, someone might break an expensive chandelier.

Therefore, whether you are a small, independent contractor or your company tends to houses worth millions of dollars, you need to invest in the right insurance. Doing so will protect your company against those unforeseen circumstances. For more on painter’s insurance visit ContractorsLiability.com

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Understand Why Your Painting Contractor Business Needs Insurance

One of the most important reasons your business should have insurance is to protect yourself, your employees, and your client when you’re working on a project. Without insurance, your business could suffer financial loss. It’s as simple as that. For example, without insurance, any damages to a client’s home or to your employees on the worksite will come out of your own pocket.

Additionally, by having the correct insurances in place, you show your clients you have their well-being and the best interests of their project at heart. This adds to your credibility and to the overall professionalism of your business.

Last but not least, certain insurances are mandatory in some states. Therefore, it pays to research the laws governing the insurance requirements of your state. Then you must abide by them. Not doing so could result in hefty penalties for your business.

Photo by Dmitry Kalinovsky

What Kind of Insurance Do You Need as a Painting Contractor?

As a painting contracting business owner, you need at the very least two kinds of insurance policies. These are general liability and workers’ compensation insurances.

1. General Liability Insurance

This insurance provides coverage for your painting contractor business against third-party injury or damage to a client’s property. It is common for clients to require that you, as the contractor, have this insurance before hiring your company.

Your insurance policy will cover a determined amount of dollars. For example, your policy might cover up to $500,000. However, this might not be enough if you are working on multimillion-dollar homes. Most residential contractors take out policies ranging from $500,000 to a million dollars. A commercial client should, and most likely will, tell you a limit with which to work.

2. Workers’ Compensation

If one of your workers is injured or killed while on the job, this insurance will provide you with funds to cover lost income and medical expenses. This will include rehabilitation costs for your employee if necessary.

What Are Some Insurance Add-ons You Might Need as a Painting Contractor?

1. Commercial Auto Insurance

As a painting contractor business owner, you will have some form of vehicle for your business. Investing in commercial auto insurance is a wise move. In most cases, your personal auto insurance will not provide coverage if you are using your vehicle for work-related purposes.

Therefore, it could be a problem if you were to be involved in an accident while carrying out work-related activities. In fact, your insurance provider could very well deny payment of your claim from your personal auto policy.

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2. Business Owner’s Policy

A business owner’s policy, or BOP, combines business property insurance and business liability insurance into one policy. Your painting contracting business will have coverage from claims arising from fire, theft, or other covered disasters.

Start by Protecting Your Business Today

Don’t leave your insurance to chance. Get insurance quotes tailor-made for your painting contractor business requirements from the industry experts. Your agent will match your business with the right insurance policies to fit your budget.

Using Facebook Ads for real estate marketing is an excellent resource when done correctly. Learn how to use Facebook ads to target new audiences, reengagement, and ultimately get more leads as a real estate agent or broker. 

Many real estate agents are turning to digital marketing such as Facebook, Google Ads, and Instagram to show off properties. But are they really getting any leads? If you are using money to put toward ads, you will want to make sure it’s done correctly. 

The Ultimate Guide to Using Facebooks Ads for Real Estate 

Today we are going to talk about how to set up your ads, why you should want to use Facebook Ads to reach more people, and some examples of how real estate agents set up their ad campaigns. 

What are Facebook Ads? 

We’ve all seen them. You know when you are browsing a website and the next time you log onto facebook, there’s that product you were previously searching for. That my friends was not a coincidence, that was strategy. 

Facebook allows you to set a budget for the lifetime or the ad or a daily budget. In turn, they show your posts, videos, and campaigns to more people that you are targeting in your audiences. 

If you aren’t consistent on Facebook or you have a property you need to sell quickly, this is a great way to get the word out. 

RELATED: 24 Business Ideas in Real Estate That Are Very Successful

Why as a Real Estate Would You Want to Use Facebook Ads? 

You can actually use ads in any business, but some niches can be more appealing. With beautiful photos and the technology to offer 360 views and home tours, this type of content is super engaging. 

It’s important to remember that not every person is looking for a home to buy or rent, but the more you can stay in front of people the more likely they are to purchase from you or tell their friends and family. 

Contrary to when you post personally on your Facebook business page, when you setup your ads correctly you can reach more or a targeted audience. THis means while its great that all of your family likes and shares your page, this is not your ideal client. Your ideal client is a homeowner looking to buy. 

Within the audience sections of your Ad dashboard you can target multiple demographics, interests, income ranges, and more. This is out you get the word out about your real estate business. 

Compared to other marketing methods, Facebook ads come relatively cheap and are super effective in terms of users. According to Sprout Social this is what they revealed about the platform in 2020. 

• 74% of high-income earners are Facebook users
• 1.62 billion users visit Facebook daily.
• 94% of Facebook Ad revenue is from mobile
• The average cost per click for a Facebook Ad is $1.72
• Mobile-friendly video generates higher engagement.

Steps to Take Before Setting Up Your Campaigns

Here are a few things to do before actually creating your ads if you haven’t done them already. 

Sign up for Facebook Business Manager. This just makes things easier for business accounts and keeps everything in one place. You can also add team members or assistants if needed. 

If you have a website, go ahead and install the Facebook Pixel code. This allows tracking and targeting of people who have engaged with your website. It also just gives better data in the long run. 

Types of Facebook Ad Campaigns

When you open the ads section from your business page, with the “new” Facebook, here are the goals you will see. 

Know that you NEVER want to boost a post so stay away from both of those. 

It’s possible that if you are using a business manager, you may see a different screen when it comes to creating your campaign, either way eventually you will end up in the same place. 

Brand Awareness

Generally used when you just want people to recognize your brand, get more page likes and are typically pretty cheap to run. This is a good option for beginners and is great if you’re running a special or offer and want to attract new people that in future will likely to engage with your page more often. Also, Facebook shows this type of campaign to people who are most likely to be interested.

Reach

This objective means that Facebook is going to show your ad to as many people as possible in your targeted audience. So compared to brand awareness, this is a little more generic in terms of targeting people who actually may be interested in real estate. BUt it’s great if you are looking to grow your following on Facebook and aren’t trying to advertise a special property for sale. 

The most common objectives used under consideration that real estate professionals use are Traffic, Engagement, and Video Views. 

Traffic

Choose this objective when you are sending your target market outside of facebook such as to a blog post on your own website or a property listing. 

Engagement

This differs from the brand awareness category because this facebook ad objective allows users to like, comment, and share, whereas the other one only allows them to take action to like your page. 

Video Views

Obviously, if you have some nice videos you may want to use this option, but this does come up in the Facebook video section. You can still use videos in the other campaigns as well. 

Lead Generation

This tool collects audience information without leaving the Facebook platform. So the downside is that there will not be any traffic going to your website if you have one. Most older people do not convert well using this type of ad, but younger people do. 

 App Installs

Chances are being in the real estate business you do not have your own app, so let’s just skip over this for now. 

Messages

This campaign is becoming more popular and allows you to engage with your people through messenger and other messaging apps. However, this may not be the most effective way to use your ad budget in real estate. 

Marketing Real Estate Through Facebook Ad Audiences 

Here’s where things get interesting and targeting is so important! If you are looking to grow your following, you can typically do that with a pretty broad audience range, but still set the parameters related to your local location. 

Custom Audiences

Here’s where you will set your parameters for a custom audience. You could also include website visitors or people from your email list if you have one.

You will set the locations, age, gender, demographics, interest, and languages. There is also the option to exclude audiences. This is helpful when you don’t want to waste your ad spend on people who already like your page, or when you want to reach a cold audience. 

Lookalike Audiences

This generates an audience that is most likely to engage in Facebook’s eyes. Before creating one, you need to have a custom audience first so it can then calculate the lookalike audience. You can also do this with email subscribers as well. 

For example, your custom audience could be people in a certain location that like Remax between the ages of 25-55 and who like HGTV. Then you would create a lookalike audience based on the custom audience. 

When setting up our ads, there will be a dial in the upper right hand corner, you want to make sure that this stays in the green. If it’s not that means your ad is too broad or not broad enough based on the audience parameters you selected.

Ideas for Facebook Ads for Real Estate 

Now that you have all of the information to start building your ad campaigns, here are some examples you may want to try using. 

• Use photos of yourself or team for brand awareness 
• Pose with the homebuyers and make a boomerang 
• Showcase a video testimonial 
• Use the event’s campaign to market your open houses 
• In the ad copy when promoting your brand, talk about the number of closings you had, the average time it takes, and what people are saying. 
• When building ads for properties, include sharp photos, the total square footage, price, and all of the features. 
• Use image carousels so people can flip through different photos of the home

Outside of ad campaigns you should be using your social media regularly to promote your business and so Facebook will show your content to more people. Need ideas for social media posts? Here’s a whole blog about Real Estate Social Media Post Ideas.

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Do you know what a hiring manager’s worst nightmare is these days? Hiring the wrong person for the job just because they looked like the right employee during the interview process.

The candidate managed to present a stellar resume and give a compelling interview. However, in reality they have mediocre skills, experience, or even motivation to excel in the role they applied for.

Sometimes, resumes and CV’s can be highly misleading. This is thanks in part to websites that specialize in trimming off the fat so resumes can look like they belong to a seasoned professional.

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On the other hand, people candidate list as character references tend to overshoot their vouching for the applicant. Naturally, they’re trying to be polite. Or perhaps they are a close friend of the applicant or they owe them a favor.

Whatever the case, this means that making sure that you do everything you can to hire the right employee for your business won’t be a walk in the park.

Fortunately, however, there are a number of good tips and measures you can take. You can use these suggestions to confirm that the candidate in front of you truly is someone who will be a great addition to your company.

1. See How Consistent Their Work History Is

One good indication of whether someone will be the right employee is how consistent their work history is. However, don’t concern yourself with how long they’ve been working or how much work experience they have.

Instead, see how long they’ve been working in the same industry that your company or business is in. Also try to determine what kind of track record they had in previous jobs.

If they had a steady work history in the industry that your establishment is in, then you can at least be sure that they have the skills and competencies of someone who could be the right employee for the job.

On the other hand, if they are someone who has jumped frequently from industry to industry or company to company, you should treat this as a red flag. This is especially the case if many of their tenures are short.

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2. Make Good Use of Questions to Assess Situational Judgement

During the interview process, it is likely that every applicant did their research and stumbled upon the interview questions you use. Moreover, they practiced extensively so they could deliver their lines in a natural way.

There is nothing you can do about this. However, you could present them with scenarios or problems that regularly occur in your business. For example, describe conflicts with customers or coworkers, or talk about scheduling and other work issues.

Such situations, unlike conventional interview questions, are most likely to be unique to your business or industry. This will allow you to understand just how compatible the applicant is for the position. You’ll gain an understanding if they could be the right employee for the job by observing how they respond to such scenarios.

This give you insights into how good an employee they might be. And you’ll also be able to see if they truly have the skills, especially the interpersonal skills, they boast about in their application.

Through the use of these types of questions, you will have a good idea about their way of thinking. Use the insights you gain in this way to assess how they could either benefit or be a liability to your business.

Remember, the only thing that’s worse than a temporary financial loss is a permanent hit to your company’s reputation for hiring the wrong person for the job. This is especially the case if the role you hire them for requires regular interaction with potential clients and customers.

3. Consider Using a Psychometric Test

Psychometric tests have long been part of the hiring process for many businesses. In fact, many companies deploy them early on. This allows them to filter out incompatible candidates early in the process, thereby saving time, money, and resources.

Commonly known as aptitude tests, such pre-employment screening tools are used to confirm candidates’ cognitive abilities. This allows hiring managers to see if candidates meet the minimum standards for the position they are applying for.

One of the most reliable aptitude tests on the market is the Wonderlic Test. This is a multi-subject exam containing 50 questions of varying difficulty that candidates must answer within 12 minutes.

Due to the way it is designed, the Wonderlic Test also measures the test-taker’s decision-making and time management skills. This is because the test is administered under immense time pressure.

Consequently, this assessment allows employers to know things about a candidate that a resume or interview can’t reveal.

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4. A Personality Test Could Also Help You Determine the Right Employee

Apart from the Wonderlic Test, some companies also use personality tests. For example, there is the Harrison Assessment, which ensures that the candidate’s behavior and motivations are aligned with the optimal personality profile of the right employee for the job.

Personality tests typically follow a survey-like format. That is, the test-taker indicates their agreement or disagreement with a statement. Their answers, in turn, reveal particular personality traits and generate a personality profile. The employer can then determine how compatible they are with the job they are applying for.

For example, when it comes to upper management positions, a hiring manager naturally would prefer a personality profile containing strong leadership skills. For entry-level positions, on the other hand, the employer’s preference will depend on the specific responsibilities of the job the person is applying for.

As you can see, each type of testing has its advantages and disadvantages. You can expect candidates to prepare well for the Wonderlic Test, for example. However, when it comes to personality tests like the Harrison Assessment, you might pass on an otherwise competent employee who “fails” that test because they are unfamiliar with it.

Despite these drawbacks, psychometric tests have something to offer for every company. This is because they can help hiring managers see things beyond an applicant’s resume. This helps hiring managers and employers to focus on individuals who are capable of succeeding with their company.

RELATED ARTICLE: WHY DOES YOUR COMPANY NEED HR SOFTWARE?

5. One of Your Own Interns Could Be the Right Employee

Most companies tend to seek out the best from the market. However, don’t overlook the intern you took on over the summer months. Although this person might not have the experience you seek, interns are more likely to be a perfect match for your business. This is because they are already familiar with your company and your workplace culture.

This means you can cut down on the amount of time you have to invest in training them. They have already become accustomed to how you and your staff do things. What’s more, they have become friends with, or at least they are cooperative with, your other employees.

Lastly, it is also likely you already know about your interns’ strengths and weaknesses. This gives you first-hand knowledge about how to guide them toward improving. Compare this process with what you would need to go through with a new employee, who would require a significant amount of your time to observe and then train them.

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Furthermore, hiring highly skilled and competent interns also builds up a strong sense of loyalty to the company. This is because they are likely to treat their employment with you with immense appreciation.

Moreover, they are likely to stay with your company in the years to come, boosting your employee retention rates and adding value in unforeseen ways.

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In the financial world today, open banking is the new buzz phrase. After taking the European economy by storm, open banking has now arrived in the United States.

New technologies are transforming the way the banking industry operates by creating more efficient and cheaper financial services. Moreover, open banking is revolutionizing the banking industry. With open banking, third-party providers (TPP’s) are being allowed to use your banking information to help you save money, borrow more easily, and pay efficiently.

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So what exactly is open banking and why does it matter for you? In short, this new way of banking can change the way you do business, pay your bills, and finance purchases.

Facts About Open Banking

Simply put, open banking is the process of giving third-party service providers access to your financial information. It’s an innovative banking policy that allows third parties to build apps and services around the information that financial institutions like banks store. It is the sharing of information such as credit limits, account balances, and spending or earning histories between financial institutions and other parties with a monetary interest in consumers.

Traditionally, banks secured and closely guarded all transaction and account data for their customers’ privacy and security. Account and transaction information was some of the most secure personal information around.

However, financial institutions and technology companies have acknowledged the advantages of opening data collection and sharing between third parties in the interest of their customers. This provides trusted third parties seamless and quick access to information.

How Open Banking Works

With these new banking solutions, third-party services can quickly acquire aggregate data from many financial institutions. It is as simple as data sharing. An app developer could access your checking account to help you track all of your spending and earning habits over time. Open banking will also let a price comparison site access your banking information, so it can tailor the products it suggests to what you can afford and what you typically spend.

While not legally mandated in the United States, like it is in the UK, American banks are increasingly volunteering to share data for the benefit of their customers. This could make it easier to budget and save as you have a clearer view of how much money you have. The obvious benefit is that payments could be made in seconds, and all from one place, making everything more convenient.

RELATED ARTICLE: WHERE SHOULD YOU INVEST YOUR MONEY IN 2020?

Ideally, open banking will result in a better experience and more financial opportunities for consumers. This is because consumers will be better able to take control of their financial information. You may already use services that open banking has improved.

For example, third-party personal financial management tools use your bank account information to help you track spending and reach other goals. Open banking solutions allow customer the financial freedom across platforms that enables them to make their various accounts work for them.

Why Open Banking Matters

These new banking efforts are changing the game for banks, regulators, and third-party partners. As such, consumers should eventually have more options for managing their money, borrowing, and making payments.

With consumers having more financial freedom, banks themselves could decide to improve the services they offer. You can also expect to see more third-party tools. App developers will have an easier job of helping you take control of your spending. Getting or refinancing a loan may also become easier as there will be no manual gathering and compiling of information. It can all be done in one place with open banking solutions.

Business Transactions Will Become Easier

As far as the business world is concerned, life will also become a little easier with open banking. When a small company needs a loan or a line of credit, lenders may want to review the books. Instead of painstakingly submitting manually generated reports, lenders can pull all the data they need from bank and accounting systems. Businesses may also benefit from easier and less expensive accounting processes with integrated systems.

Banking that used to be tedious and costly is changing, thanks in part to open banking. Traditional banking has now shifted to offer better services, reduced fees, and easier processes. Open banking is changing the way we conduct business and creating financial power and freedom for consumers.