When you’re a small business owner, you have to wear many hats, especially in the beginning. One of those hats has you continually maintaining and upgrading your website. In that capacity, you know a content delivery network (CDN) will speed up your site. However, installing one is complicated.

Isn’t it?

Wrong.

Some CDN’s do have complex implementation sequences, but others are as simple as boiling an egg. There’s an obvious sequence of actions you need to complete, but each one is easy and quick.

The sequence below relates to implementing an Incapsula CDN on any domain.

 

Signing Up

A good quality CDN uses expensive hardware such as solid state disks (SSDs), the latest super-fast CPUs and the fastest Internet connections. Each of these costs money.

A free CDN won’t compare to a paid one, and the monthly charges for a good one start at around $59 per month. However, that is a small price to pay for the increased conversions your faster site will give you.

Incapsula offers a free trial, but you do need to give your credit card details. If things don’t work out, though, just cancel the pending payment.

We lay out the entire, step-by-step CDN implementation process in the screenshots below from Incapsula.

Start by clicking on the green “Pricing & Sign Up” button and choose the level of CDN cover you need.

If you click on the PRO plan, the next screen asks for your name, email address, and company details.

When you click on the “Create Account” button you are taken to the screen below to fill in your credit card details.

Enter your card details and press the big green button. Provided you have enough unused credit on your card, you will be directed to the screen where you will enter your domain name.

 

Adding Your Site

Adding your site to any CDN has a few more steps than most company sites reveal in their marketing.

Type in a domain name you own and press the green button to add the site to your Incapsula account. Just add one domain at this stage, or things will get too complicated.

Incapsula tells you what is happening.

You will see a message on the next screen about verifying your identity using the email address you gave when you signed up.

Click on the link in the email that Incapsula sent you.

Clicking the link clears the ID verification message.

Click the orange triangle under “status,” and you start a sequence that will set up your site on Incapsula.

Now, click on the green “Set up HTTP” link.

Click on the friendly-looking green “Let’s start” button. And you get the rather unfriendly looking screen below. Never fear, Click the green “Check DNS” button anyway.

You then see the scary screen below, where you have to DO something.

Validate by e-mail sounds easier, so click that box.

You now have a drop-down choice of email addresses to choose from.

You probably don’t have any of those addresses set up, so you need to set one up in your cPanel dashboard. (If you do have one of these email addresses set up you can skip the next few steps.)

Scroll down through your cPanel screen until you reach the EMAIL section. Click the “Email Accounts” link. Scroll down the available email domains until you come to the one you need. Then add “admin” or your chosen email user and generate a password.

 

Be Sure to Copy Your Password

Click on the “eye” to see your password and copy it (Ctrl C). (This is a vital step!)

Press “Create Account.”

You will need to set up your new email account in whichever email client you use (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.).

The screenshots below show how to set up your new account in Thunderbird. Download Thunderbird free from here.

Click on File, New, Existing Mail Account, and a pop-up will appear as below.

Put your name on the top line, your new email address in the second line, and paste your password (Ctrl V) into the third line. Click “Confirm,” and you are done.

Go back to your Incapsula browser tab.

Choose the email address you have just set up and click the “Send email” link.

The screen below then opens up.

Open your email client, scroll down to the address you have given and open your inbox.

Open the email from Incapsula and click the link.

 

And Now You Wait…

You must wait a few hours until the SSL certificate is issued before you can go on to the next step.

When you click on the “Go to management console” button, you see the screen below.

That’s it for now. Go and do something else for a few hours, because you need an email from Incapsula before you can go to the next step.

Eventually, you will get an email as shown below.

Open the email.

 

It’s Really Easier Than It Seems

This all sounds pretty complicated. Don’t give up, though, because it’s easier than it seems.

Open your cPanel screen and scroll down until you find the “Domains” section. Click on the “DNS Zone Editor” link.

The DNS editor will open.

Find the domain you are setting up on Incapsula and click the “Manage” link.

You are now ready to change the “A record.” Copy the new IP address from the recent Incapsula email and click “edit” as shown below.

Click “Save Record.”

You will get an acknowledgment screen saying you have updated the “A record” successfully.

 

Now, Add Another One

Now you get to add another “A record.”

Click on the “Add Record” button.

When you click, you will get the screen below.

Paste in your naked domain name and the new “A record” IP address as shown below, then click the “Add Record” button.

Well done. You have now completed two of the three DNS changes. (DNS, by the way, stands for Domain Name System.)

Your next step is to change the CNAME record.

Click the CNAME link, as below.

Follow the email instructions and click “Edit” for the domain.

You will see the screen below. You are going to replace the highlighted domain in the “Record” column with whatever your Incapsula email said to use.

Paste in the new CNAME record from your email and click “Save Record.”

 

Practice Patience

You’ve finished, but the changes you have just made will take up to 48 hours to propagate, so Incapsula still marks your domain as “not configured.”

The next day or the day after, you will receive an email as shown below.

When you open the email, you find everything is in order.

When you log in to Incapsula again, you should see a screen similar to the one below.

That happy green check mark tells you your DNS changes have propagated. Now all your traffic will go through your Incapsula CDN.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: 2 SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP YOUR IT DEPARTMENT HELP YOUR BUSINESS

 

Long Story Short

You need a content delivery network to stay one step ahead of your competitors. Your website needs to lead the pack in every way, including design, interactivity, and speed. A quality CDN is part of that.

So choose your CDN carefully. You don’t need a perfect Eggs Benedict. All you want is a poached egg on toast, so choose one that is simplicity itself to implement. Incapsula’s CDN is one of the simplest to set up, as you can see from the series of screenshots above.

Web development agencies on track to achieve greater heights are picky about the platform they choose to run their business.

They have to be. That’s because website creation grows more accessible each day to almost everyone, whether they’re a web developer or not. Therefore, if your web development agency doesn’t make the grade, you’ll soon find yourself struggling to find clients.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 REASONS YOUR SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS A WEBSITE

 

In this post, we make a side-by-side comparison of Wix, a popular DIY-style website builder, and Duda, a platform that’s tailored to the extended needs of website development agencies.

Before anything else, though, introductions are in order.

 

Wix

Founded in 2006, Wix was introduced in a period of rapid change in the web development space.

Content management systems, blogging platforms, and other DIY site-building software were gaining a foothold. Similarly, Wix was released with the vision to make website development as easy as possible.

With Wix, anyone can build a professional-looking website within minutes, thanks to the wide selection of themes and templates for various categories. Users can then customize their creations via the drag-and-drop editor. This is perfect for website owners with zero design experience.

 

Duda

Next up is Duda, a younger platform with much bigger goals than its competitors.

Rather than focusing on website development only, Duda aims to provide the technology that web development agencies need to grow.

To that end, it helps web development agencies with client communications, team collaboration, and the agency’s branding efforts. And it does so with robust back-end tools. In other words, Duda is basically an all-in-one tool that can help web development agencies run their businesses.

 

Comparing Wix and Duda

Now for that side-by-side comparison we promised.

 

1. Flexibility

You can easily customize the websites you create with either Duda or Wix. That is, you can edit, move, and stylize every layer or section of content as you see fit.

Unfortunately, though, Wix’s website editor is noticeably more theme-dependent and rigid. For example, you can only add page sections on top of each other. In contrast, Duda allows you to incorporate more website elements into different columns.

What’s more, Wix doesn’t permit you to modify any of the existing codes on your website. This is a huge disadvantage, especially to web development agencies whose developers need as much control with their projects as possible.

Wix does, however, enable you to add new layers of code by turning on the built-in Developer Tools. Still, it’s not nearly as powerful as the Duda code editor. This is a tool that essentially gives you the keys to everything.

Winner: Duda

 

2. Ease of Use

To be fair, both Duda and Wix offer an intuitive user experience that anyone can get used to in no time.  

For example, Wix offers one of the most user-friendly interfaces around. Its minimalist dashboard and the convenient Quick Links tool make it easy to find the exact feature you need.

Additionally, the Wix website editor is tough to beat. It functions as a central interface where you can do practically everything, from connecting your own domain name to editing your on-page business details.

However, Duda also offers a level of usability that makes website creation a breeze.

In particular, the Widgets section in the Duda editor enables you to speedily construct feature-rich web pages. You simply need to locate the widget you want, drag it anywhere you desire, and make the necessary adjustments.

However, Wix has a trick under its sleeve that puts it a tad ahead of Duda in terms of usability.

Upon creating a website for the very first time, you have the option to let the Wix Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) do the grunt work. As the name suggests, it’s an AI-based system that automatically designs a website according to your specific needs.

Although you can still fully customize the website you build through the Wix ADI, it often ends up looking generic at first. But since the first factor is all about ease of use, then we have to hand Wix a point here.

Winner: Wix

 

3. Asset Management

Effective asset management is one of the most important aspects of successful web development. Duda achieves this with the help of handy content collection and library management tools.

For example, if you already have an existing site or Facebook page you’d like to scrape content from, all you need to do is enter the right URL in the Import Content tool.

Duda also allows you to create a Content Collection Form. This makes it easier for your clients to submit everything they need on their website, including images, documents, videos, and so on.

Once your clients have uploaded their assets to the content library, you can seamlessly plug them into their web page.

Wix, on the other hand, has an option that lets you import images from several online services. These include Google Drive, DeviantArt, Flickr, and social media networks. But for other types of content, such as videos, animations, and documents, you’ll have to obtain and upload them from clients yourself.

Overall, Wix’s asset management is a bit more tedious and time-consuming than what Duda has to offer. Sure, it maintains the drag-and-drop experience when you’re adding content to your web pages. However, it’s certainly not enough, especially for web developers, who expect to work with dozens if not hundreds of assets in multiple projects.

Winner: Duda

 

4. Extra Features

As a bonus round, let’s take a look at the extra features that Duda and Wix bring to the table.

First off is Wix’s features for music-related websites. In particular, let’s consider their already-configured Music Player and Tour Dates sections. You can add these to any page.

Once you’ve added them, you’ll have access to Wix Music. This is a central dashboard for managing your albums, singles, and playlists. Pretty cool, eh?

Duda has one key feature that can definitely give Wix Music a run for its money, however. And that’s the Widget Builder.

The Widget Builder allows designers and developers to create dynamic content and interactions for their users. It can integrate with a payment gateway, a booking calendar, an FAQ accordion, and so on.

What’s more, the widgets are highly versatile. You can create libraries of them to use across all of your clients’ projects.

Compared to the app marketplaces on most website building platforms, the Duda Widget Builder has some major advantages. For instance, if you build your widget here, it will work on all devices and screen sizes. What’s more, there won’t be any code conflicts with other plugins or design elements on the sites you create.

Wix’s advantage targets a narrow audience. However, Duda’s Widget Builder arguably delivers more value for web developers. And with that said, we’ll hand Duda another point for its Widget Builder.

Winner: Duda

 

 

Conclusion

At the end of the day, it all boils down to personal preference when it comes to these top-tier website platforms.

However, if you look at both tools objectively—taking into account the features of both— it becomes immediately clear that Duda far surpasses Wix for web development agencies. Mainly that’s because with Wix you’d have to use other tools to help you with client communication, team collaboration, and your branding efforts.

With Duda, on the other hand, you’ll have all the tools you need to run your web development agency.

Every aspect of starting a company can be daunting, from the company formation process to understanding the market and staying financially sound. Here are our six golden rules to help you survive your first year in business.

 

Protect Your Cash Flow

Protecting your cash flow is probably the most important of these six golden rules.

However, your cash flow can become troublesome in the first few years of starting your own company. Therefore, running company credit checks on all suppliers and large customers can be the difference between the life and death of your new company.

Credit checks give you a firm understanding the financial situation of a company you’re considering doing business with. Also, they give some insight into the character and intentions of the directors. A company credit check will outline how a company has dealt with historic debts. It will also show whether the directors are on the board of any other, illegitimate companies.

Your cash flow is also vulnerable to internal changes. Making a change to your company that causes a mass exodus of customers is a lot more damaging when your company is new. It could be the difference between your company surviving or not.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 INVESTMENTS YOU SHOULD MAKE WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS

 

Keep a Pace That You Can Handle

You need to know your market well when you first start a company. Otherwise, it’s easy to make alterations to your product that don’t suit your customers’ needs. This can lead to you making further changes to rectify any issues. If you make multiple changes in a short time, it will be harder to identify exactly what caused an issue.

This could cause your business to spiral downward if you cannot work out what or why something hasn’t worked. If you then try and reverse the changes, you could cause customers to become even more dissatisfied. That’s because they may believe that you have stripped down your product, offering them less value.

 

Don’t Try and Wear All the Hats

Outsourcing after your company is somewhat established could deliver significant improvements in the long term. However, it might not be suitable to outsource when you’ve just started a company.

That’s because it is impossible to understand exactly what you are going to excel at when you first start up. Take time to review how well you complete tasks in your company. Do this not just from a performance perspective, but also look at how long tasks take. Your time is valuable and might be better spent in other areas. This exercise will help you to identify where it would be most beneficial to outsource.

 

Get to Know Your Customers Immediately

Understanding your customers and serving their needs well can be a reciprocal process. Better satisfying your customers comes with unforeseen benefits. What’s more, getting to know your customers is one of the six golden rules that will pay off big time. Happy customers are more likely to leave positive reviews of your company.

Before you even register your company, you must have a thorough understanding of who your customers are and what problem your product solves. Therefore, make sure there is no inconsistency between your product’s features and your customers’ needs.

Additionally, look at your competitors’ offerings and see what pain points their products solve. You are able to influence your customer experience and build a product or service which changes your customers’ lives. A good product serves a customer once. However, a great product can change their lives.

Moreover, understanding how your product delivers value to your customers is important. A successful product changes a person’s life in a positive way. You must understand how your business can achieve this.

 

Understand How You Differentiate from Your Competitors

Knowing exactly how you differentiate from your competitors is invaluable. It will mold the way in which you need to compete to be successful.

Acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of your method of differentiation is also vital. It will have a great effect on your long-term business plan.

Keep in mind that competing on price is a lot less resilient than beating your competitors on quality. That’s because your competitors can simply change their price (even to their detriment) and beat your offering. However, if you aim at beating your competitors on quality you’re more likely to come out ahead in the long run.

 

 

See the Big Picture

Understanding how your company fits into the market should help you control how your business scales. Are your competitors owned by a parent company with deep pockets? In that case, scaling too quickly to try and compete can be dangerous. You may leave yourself overstretched.

This can lead you to be unable to adequately serve your market. As a new company, you will also have less lead time to work out where your weaknesses as a company lie. This could cause lasting, long-term damage to your brand if you let your customers down.

Take some time to build for the future. Recognizing the power of a strong brand is one of the key golden rules. Protecting your brand will help you in the long term. As Warren Buffett said, “”It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”

 

Finally

We understand how overwhelming starting a company can be. There is a lot of conflicting advice. Add to that the fear of the unknown when you’re first considering taking the plunge. By taking time to consider these 6 golden rules, you are giving your business the best chance of surviving and flourishing.

 

About the Author

Joe Hurst is the paid search manager for Company Formation MadeSimple by day and runs a digital marketing agency by night.

Acquiring a credit card in Finland is an excellent way to finance your Finnish business venture. With it, you will be able to acquire what you need up front. Additionally, with the right card, you could potentially rack up lots of miles and rewards for the purchases you make.

Nevertheless, starting a business anywhere is extremely difficult. Not only do you have to come up with the funds to finance the operation, but also you have to build a loyal customer base. Unfortunately, not everyone is backed by hundreds of investors or has access to a large inheritance. So, how do you go about getting a credit card in Finland?

 

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO START YOUR BUSINESS ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET

 

Picking the Best Card for Your Needs

 

The first thing you need to know about when applying for a business credit card in Finland is that there are plenty of different lenders available. Choosing the one that best suits your businesses’s needs is crucial. The right lender will ensure that you get the most out of your investment.

For instance, businesses have a lot of expenses. There are office supplies, hotel expenditures, and even rent and utilities. So why not get rewarded for what you spend?

If you visit a website such as Hetilainaa24 Credit, you can easily shop through hundreds of different credit card providers. Find out which card offers the biggest bang for your buck.

 

 

The Application Process

Before you can get a credit card, you are going to have to go through an application process. The process can vary from company to company. However, for the most part, the applications are similar.

Make sure that you gather all of your business information ahead of time. This will ensure that the process goes quickly and smoothly.

Some of the basic information you will need includes financial records, revenue and income reports, physical address, and the name of your business.

In addition, any FICC Finance expert will tell you that it is imperative to always be truthful in these applications. Banks and lenders are going to perform an in-depth financial review on you and your company. If you lie they are going to find out, and this will damage your credibility.

If you are a new startup company and haven’t acquired any revenue yet, be completely honest and truthful. Banks know that you have to start somewhere. Most of them will be willing to work with you.

 

Know Your Credit Score

 

When applying for a business credit card in Finland, you need to know your credit score. Every bank and lender out there is going to consider your personal credit score before issuing you a business credit card. Knowing your score ahead of time will give you some idea of where you stand.

For instance, a lot of banks and other lenders will tell you up front where your credit rating needs to be in order to secure a card through them. This will save you time and hassle when you are shopping around for a credit card company.

 

Finally

While the information in this post is specific to Finland, you can apply it in a general way to obtaining a credit card wherever you happen to live and run your business.

Image from Pixabay

A great amount of dedication is required to start your own building maintenance business. Being unprepared is the worst thing you can do. This will delay company progression and damage its reputation. However, when you get it right, you will be on the path to a secure financial future.

Here, we look at the basic factors of starting a building maintenance business. We also suggest seven questions to ask yourself. We discuss why these factors are important and what to consider for future success.

 

1. What Are Your Aims and Ambitions?

Before doing anything, you need to lay out a plan which identifies what kind of business you want to create. Think about what services you want to offer customers. How will your business stand out from competitors?

To do this, make your goals achievable and establish yourself as a distinct service provider. Will you offer plumbing and heating or handyman services? Electrical maintenance? Water hygiene and treatment? Whichever niche you choose, make it clear what you intend to offer clients. You also need to consider whether you will cater to the industrial or the commercial sector.

Moreover, this is a good time to think about the name of your building maintenance business. Pick a catchy title that can be easily recognized by the industry you specialize in. Try to find a name which isn’t similar to other local companies. Also, make sure it is an available web domain.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: SOME SIMPLE MEASURES YOU CAN TAKE TO ENSURE YOUR BUSINESS’S SUCCESS

 

2. Do You Have the Required Licensing?

This is one of the most compulsory things to do when setting up your building maintenance business.

Almost every business needs some kind of license or permits from state officials. However, this depends on the type of business. Also, it matters where it is located, as well as the government rules that apply.

However, there are plenty of guides on the Internet. These will give in-depth details about business license policies near you. For example, consider this guide by Fundera.

 

3. Do You Have the Appropriate Insurance?

Even if your business is merely a thought at the moment, it is imperative to get the right insurance from the most suitable provider.

That’s because a day in the life of the business maintenance industry varies constantly. This means almost anything could happen. For example, one of your technicians might accidentally break a piece of furniture while out on a job. Or the could lose a client’s keys. No matter what, ensure you are protected with the right coverage.

 

4. How Many Employees Do You Intend to Have?

Depending on how many jobs a company wants to accept, the number of employees varies. Just keep in mind that hiring more workers increases revenue in the long run. That’s because you will be able to schedule multiple jobs at once. Also, it is worth thinking about whether you want to train employees or if you will require a certain amount of experience already.

 

 

5. How Will You Manage Your Job Workload?

Another vital factor to consider is what business operations you intend to use to control your workflow and workforce. Starting any kind of business is no easy feat. This is especially the case when you must do a vast amount of the work yourself.

This is why you should have an effective system in mind. Make sure you obtain a system which will handle business commodities such as invoices, jobs, assets, scheduling and reporting all in one place.

 

Image from Joblogic

Field management software is a popular choice for building maintenance firms. As a matter of fact, a large number of small businesses make field management software their number-one priority.

Joblogic is an example of a reliable software provider that integrates all facets of your business. This provider also offers their users the ability to integrate their workforce via a mobile app. This ensures that technicians are always connected to the back office, no matter where they are.

 

6. What Assets Do You Need?

Further, think about other assets your company will also need. These could range from vehicles to tools, tech gadgets to uniforms.

Also ensure you keep a detailed record of your purchases. This will maintain organization, always important, but especially when filing your taxes. Integrated computer software can be handy for keeping tabs on your spending.

 

7. How Will You Promote Your Building Maintenance Business?

You should have the notion of progressing your building maintenance business right from the start.

Set up an attractive website, establish yourself on social media, ask for reviews from customers, and advertise your company via ads in local newspapers and flyers. These are all effective marketing methods.

The most important thing to remember, however, is how you present yourself to customers. Having a great attitude is key to giving your building maintenance business a kick start.

Your answers to these questions will give you a better idea of how well prepared you are. And they will let you know about what you need to work on before you start your building maintenance business.

After reading about all the benefits of invoice factoring for small business, you have decided to give this financing option a shot.

You fit all the qualifications required by most factors. That is, you are a business-to-business (B2B) or a business-to-government (B2G) concern. You have been in business for a few years. And you have plenty of reliable clients. What could go wrong?

As it turns out, there is plenty that could go wrong. If you don’t know how invoice factoring can harm you, you might be careless enough to make some serious mistakes. What’s more, these errors could jeopardize the stability of your business.

Before you begin invoice factoring, therefore, learn about some of the worst blunders to avoid. We clue you in here so your business can enjoy a strong cash flow for years to come.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SMALL BUSINESS—EVEN ON A LIMITED BUDGET

 

1. Confusing Factoring and Financing

Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, factoring and financing are not identical financial products.

Invoice factoring is the sale of your unpaid invoices to a third party. This party usually assumes responsibility for obtaining payment from your clients. Meanwhile, invoice or accounts receivable financing is a loan that uses your invoices or accounts receivable as collateral.

With financing, you are still responsible for collecting your clients’ payments. Additionally, you must pay back the money you received from the lender. Both factoring and financing are financial products marketed to help businesses with cash flow troubles, but factoring is the option with less risk.

 

 

2. Misunderstanding Invoices

An invoice is a specific type of document. It details a list of products or services the business provided and informs customers of costs due.

Not all businesses use invoices to accept payments. For example, retail stores charge for products before customers obtain products.

Some businesses misunderstand or misidentify invoices and attempt to factor purchase orders or other types of payment-related documents. However, purchase orders consist of products or services that have not yet been delivered, and they will not factor. It is a waste of time for both you and your factor to attempt to factor anything besides invoices.

 

3. Skipping the Fine Print

Factoring is often described as a sale of your invoices. In fact, we just did that a paragraph ago. However, the truth is that the transaction is much more complex.

To be more specific, there are rules regarding the creditworthiness of your clients, deadlines for payments, and rates regarding the money you can take in advance. All these critical details will be present in the contract you sign with your factor. Therefore, you must read and understand all of these rules before you enter into the agreement.

Failure to comprehend your contract does not make it null. You will still be responsible for any fees and penalties you incur even if you didn’t acknowledge them.

 

 

4. Misdirecting Payments

There are few factoring arrangements where you are responsible for collecting your clients’ payments and forwarding them to your factor. That situation is rare. Instead, most factoring companies demand that payments be sent directly to them. In this way, they know for certain when payments arrived and that they arrived in full.

Therefore, as soon as you make an agreement with a factor, you must inform affected clients that they should make all of their future payments to the factor or to the factor’s bank. If you make this mistake it could cost you a few fines. What’s more, it will also damage your relationship with your factor. This could potentially hurt your future rates or even lead to a termination of the relationship.

 

5. Forgetting Time Commitments

Invoice factoring is one of the speediest ways to improve your cash flow. However, but strong arrangements don’t emerge immediately.

Because invoicing is a complex system, you will need to complete extensive amounts of paperwork before you benefit from factoring. While this isn’t necessarily a hard-dollar cost, it is an important cost that you should take into consideration.

 

6. Depending on Invoice Factoring Alone

Factoring alone isn’t going to save your business. Granted, it is an incredibly useful tool, especially for businesses that experience regular cash flow imbalances. However, it isn’t a cure-all when it comes to business financial woes.

If your business is struggling financially, factoring might be able to help. However, you should also consider acquiring more substantial forms of funding. For example, consider such solutions as SBA loans, bank loans, lines of credit, and others. Then, once your business becomes stronger, you can consider utilizing invoice factoring for fast cash to get ahead.

Are you planning to open a business in 2018 or buy an existing one? If so, you’re going to need a support team. In other words, you’ll want to surround yourself with the best people possible.

Even if you plan to launch and operate your startup as a solopreneur, you’re going to need trusted advisors and support systems in place to help you along the way.

Take, for example, proven entrepreneurial and leadership tips for small-business owners in any industry. You’ll hear time and time again that success doesn’t come from trying to know everything or do everything yourself.

So start thinking now about the people you need on board to help you grow your business quickly. Identify people who can help you avoid mistakes and generate as much profit as possible. Read on for suggestions about essential members of your support team. Find out more about who you should be searching for.

 

Finance Guru

First up, one of the most important people you’ll need to help you on your entrepreneurial journey is a finance guru. After all, it’s almost impossible to get far in business if you’re not educated about money. If you don’t have someone on hand to help you keep track of finances, cut costs, increase profits, and prepare reports, you could find yourself struggling down the road.

It pays to appoint an internal chief financial officer, or to utilize an external financial advisor or accountant. You need someone who can help you stay up to date on the latest rules and regulations. This person, or persons, can help you especially during the startup phase of your business. That’s when you must keep a close eye on cash flow. You’ll also need to learn how to determine sales projections, understand profit-and-loss data, and so much more.

Therefore, look for a team member who is knowledgeable about relevant accounting and finance topics. Find someone who also understands the startup arena as well as the industry you’re in. Even better, look for an expert who understands your organization’s specific type of sales process, along with how this affects your income and your outgo.

 

 

Sales and Marketing Experts

To make enough money to keep your business afloat, it is also essential to use key sales and marketing strategies. You’ll want to focus on bringing in large numbers of new leads. Then you’re going to want to convert these leads into sales.

You must be able to build a strong brand presence. When you spend money on marketing initiatives, you’ll want to spend it wisely. Afterward, you’ll need to learn how to evaluate your results. The end result you’re going to be aiming for is building loyalty with customers and ensuring they buy again and again.

Having sales and marketing experts working for your business, either as external contractors or as in-house employees, will help you grow your startup more quickly. Plus, you’ll have better success each time you launch a new product or service, or target a new demographic.

Keep in mind that having effective salespeople around can also work wonders in other areas of your business. This is in addition to moving your organization’s wares.

For example, as an entrepreneur you always need to be selling something. You could be selling yourself as a CEO to investors. Or you could be selling your business to lenders when you request a loan. Additionally, you’ll want to sell your products or ideas to journalists. When it comes to building your staff, you’ll want to sell your organization to potential employees.

Sales experts can help you generate interest from relevant people. They will also help you to build strategic relationships and showcase yourself and your wares in the best light.

 

Customer Service Extraordinaire

Another important part of running a business, particularly a startup, is providing excellent customer service.

You need to find a customer service crew who can answer people’s questions effectively the first time. A good customer service team will help to allay any fears customers have about buying from your business. Your support team can follow up with clients as part of after-sales support. Additionally, they can keep track of, and work to resolve, customer complaints as soon as possible.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: WHY QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE ALWAYS STARTS WITH A SMILE

 

Industry Stalwart

When you’re starting a business in an industry you haven’t worked in before, it will make the world of difference if you have someone in your team who is already an industry stalwart. Look for a person who is a veteran in the area you’ll be joining. Find someone who can help you with both daily operational processes and big-picture strategic thinking.

People who know a sector inside and out will help ensure you avoid “rookie mistakes.” Plus, they’ll have good ideas about which industry events are worth attending. They’ll know the types of clients you should be pitching to. Further, they can suggest ways you can cut costs and increase profits.

 

Build a Stellar Support Team and Enjoy Greater Success

If you build a support team such as the one suggested here, your new venture is sure to thrive.

Watches are more than a fashion accessory. They are a status symbol, especially in the business world.

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to picking out a watch to match your business attire. For example, you get to choose from smartwatches to classic mechanical watches. You certainly are spoiled for choice.

 

Should You Go for a Smartwatch?

In 2015, the Internet was all abuzz with news about smartwatches. They were going to change the face of time-telling. It was thought that smartwatches would become mainstream tech devices like smartphones, tablets and even e-readers. However, that did not turn out to be the case. The hype was short-lived. As a matter of fact, smartwatches are no longer popular products, even among technophiles.

Companies that experienced early success have exited the smartwatch market. That’s because consumers failed to jump on board the trend. Today, fewer than 10% of Europeans own a smartwatch. Compare that with the more than 60% who use smartphones every day. It’s easy to see that smartwatches just aren’t popular among consumers.

There were a number of factors to blame. Primarily, however, it was the cost. Considering their very limited range of functions, smartwatches could not really justify their own price. We will certainly need to cross a bridge in terms of smartwatch technology. If and when that ever happens, users would have more capabilities while smartwatches would maintain an affordable price point.

“Watches are more of a fashion accessory to most people. Smartwatches are eventually going to replace watches through natural evolution,” says Daniel Richmond from Tic Watches. “Most of our suppliers are pushing smartwatches in a race to be first. But at Tic Watches we expect this to be a slow process over a number of years. A race to be first is not that important.”

So, the answer is yes, eventually. There will come a time when smartwatches will have a valuable purpose alongside smartphones. But that time isn’t now.

 

 

Do Smartwatches Have a Business Purpose?

Currently, smartwatches do little more than provide smartphone notifications. Emails, social media messages, and news alerts can all be pushed through to your smartphone. This can be useful, depending on the line of work you’re in.

For example, if you attend meetings regularly, then you could certainly benefit from having a smartwatch. It is great technology for this type of activity. You’ll certainly want to keep up with your emails and be aware of any urgent information. However, you can’t just whip out your mobile in the middle of a meeting. This is where a smartwatch would serve you well. As you can quickly take a look at your watch without coming across as discourteous.

So, if you have the money to spare and you’re a busy professional, a smartwatch could be a great option for you. What’s more, if you are struggling to find one that actually suits your business wear, then you may be in luck. That’s because we are seeing more and more smartwatches that put fashion first.

 

Smart Watches That Look Professional

One of the main reasons that business professionals have been slow to adopt smartwatches is their appearance. They aren’t particularly known for their classy look. “Industrial,” “sporty,” and “techy” are all terms that you can use to describe the way the average smartwatch looks. But “sophisticated” isn’t one of those terms.

Therefore, business professionals are sure to struggle when it comes to finding a smartwatch that suits their style. You might have to spend quite a bit of money to get a smartwatch that has the look of a classic timepiece. For example, Montblanc’s Summit smartwatch is sleek and refined, but it sells for more than £600.

However, things could change in 2018. Michael Kors has recently launched a range of smartwatches and fitness trackers that range from £329 to £399. They are still twice the price of Apple Watches and Samsung Gears. However, it is certainly a sign of changing times when one of the biggest names in fashion creates his own smartwatch.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: IS YOUR APPEARANCE HONESTLY GOOD FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

 

What About Hybrid Watches?

If you want a stylish, high-tech watch but aren’t yet prepared to spend more than £300, then a hybrid smartwatch could be your perfect solution. It is the compromise between a traditional mechanical watch and a smartwatch. It does not have a touchscreen, and it does not need to be charged.

You will still get notifications from your phone via a vibration, however. Plus, there will be a visual cue to let you know which app is sending the message. It also tracks your steps and monitors your sleeping habits; you can check your progress on your smartphone. They are slim, stylish and functional. And they do exactly what you want from a smartwatch.

Plenty of high-end brands are releasing their own hybrid watches. If this is something you’re interested in, check out Fossil, Garmin, Nokia and Misfit. They come in a wide range of styles. Therefore, you should be able to find one that suits your personal wardrobe. Plus, they are affordable enough that you can mix it up with a couple of different watches to suit your various outfits.

The great thing about hybrid watches is that they don’t need charging. For instance, the batteries in hybrid watches can last up to six months. So you don’t have to worry about your watch losing its charge throughout the day. Hybrid watches are just like classic timepieces with a few convenient extras. And they don’t break the bank.

 

What to Look for in a Business Watch

There are certainly unwritten rules when it comes to which type of watch you should wear in a business environment. You want your watch to tell people that you are put-together professional. You want it to communicate that you are confident about your personal style. Here are some tips for picking out the ideal watch to wear to work.

Firstly, don’t overdo it. While do want to add an extra splash of pizzazz to your outfit, the way to do that isn’t with lots of crystals. You should go for an understated look in the workplace, with simple elegance. The same applies for bright colors or novelty watches. While they may express your personality, they come across as somewhat childish and unprofessional.

What you should be looking for is a watch with a leather or link strap. Gold or silver is fine. You can even add some extra details like mother of pearl or wood, as long as they are subtle.

If you are going with a leather watchband, consider your other accessories. Your belt, shoes or handbag can provide you with a starting point. Then you can aim to match your watch to any one of those items. A bit of coordination goes a long way to making you look more professional.

Next, consider the case and the face of your watch. Both Roman numerals and modern numbers are good choices. However, it is important that they don’t stand out too much. The casing of the watch should be simple and chic. Plus, it should suit the size of the band. Anything with too large of a face will diminish the professional look of the watch.

 

The Exceptions Prove the Rules

Of course, there are exceptions to the rules. If you work in a more casual office, you can wear a sportier watch or a timepiece with a few funky features. However, if you work in the kind of office where you have to wear button-down shirts and blazers, then it is best to heed the above advice.

You’ll have plenty of options to choose from when picking out a watch to suit your office attire. Professional watches come in all shapes, sizes and materials. Therefore, you’re sure to find one that does a great job of not only expressing your personality but perfectly suiting your business wardrobe.

Multilingual Website: Reasons Why Your Business Needs It

Should you publish multilingual versions of your website, or offer other multi-language options? Once upon a time, these were options that only large companies considered or those who were breaking ground in foreign lands. Now, there are compelling reasons to have a multilingual website, whatever the size of your business or where you operate.

 

You’ll Make It Easier for Customers to Interact With You as You Expand

If you expand into foreign markets, having a multilingual website makes it that much easier for customers in new territories to interact with your brand. Without compensating for any language barrier, they can simply hop online to consume your content. Plus, they can more easily browse your products and engage with you and your followers. Even if it is common for people to also speak your native language in a particular area, communicating with them in theirs removes a significant amount of friction from the engagement process.

 

It Allows You to Grow Around Your Competition

There are many ways to neutralize your competition. For example, you can do things better. You can do things less expensively. If you adopt a multi-language approach to your online presence, you do something that is easy and inexpensive. You simply, and quietly, do something that your competitors are not doing. As a result, you reach out to potential audiences that they are missing entirely.

 

You Can Increase Your Sales

Every time you publish anything online, you increase your chances of landing more traffic and sales. This is true whether it’s a landing page, a microsite, or simply giving visitors an opportunity to select the language they would like to use when they’re on your multilingual website. When a customer realizes they can place orders, for example, in their native language, that increases the likelihood that they will take action such as making a purchase.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO INCREASE SALES ON YOUR WEBSITE IN 4 SIMPLE STEPS

 

Internet Adoption Is Growing Worldwide

While the Internet may have initially been created with English-speaking audiences in mind, things are rapidly changing. It’s still true that English is the most widely used language for website content. However, it’s only used in a bit more than half of the websites published today. The remaining percentage is taken up by content written and published in other languages.

This will only increase as overall Internet use increases worldwide. As developing nations and others continue to increase Internet adoption, more content will be written in different languages.

 

 

Even Customers at Home May Prefer Different Language Options

People may assume that they only need online translation services if they sell products or do business on foreign soil. That’s not always the case. The customers you have, right now, right where you are, may benefit if you were to offer them multilingual web pages.

Keep in mind that there are households, neighborhoods, communities, even towns where a large number of people communicate in a different language. Even those who are quite fluent in yours might prefer to do business in their native language. Pay particular attention if you do business in areas where there are immigrant neighborhoods or communities that are close to borders.

 

Searchability and Multilingual SEO

Did you know that a professional translation agency can help you boost your SEO and help to ensure that you show up in search engine results in different languages? Think about it. First, there are search engines beyond Google, Bing, and Yahoo that are huge in other regions. Imagine trending on search engines that are popular in China. Even if you choose to focus only on the standard three search engines for optimization, you can increase your SEO and get better rankings if you can begin to rank for keywords in other languages.

 

You Will Increase Brand Recognition

People anywhere in the world instantly recognize a can of Coke. This is the result of more than a century of global marketing efforts. By creating a multilingual website and using a website localization service, you can accomplish the same, albeit at a smaller level. When customers are attracted to your website because you communicate in their language, they see your products. They read your messaging and begin to get to know your brand. This leads to more brand recognition and engagement.

 

Being Multilingual Boosts Customer Trust and Confidence

The ability to learn about products and interact in their own language is a big trust and confidence booster. As a matter of fact, customers are actually willing to pay more for that privilege. Even if you don’t roll out fully multilingual versions of your site, you can still translate landing pages and product descriptions. If you also provide multilingual help text and order forms and ensure your checkout process is fully translated you’ll further boost customer confidence.

 

Conclusion

Increased sales, more engagement, trust, SEO, and a competitive edge: These are just a few reason you should consider translating your website. Now more than ever, reaching out to customers in their own language is important. Whether you translate your entire site or simply a few pages, you are likely to reap some real benefits from making that choice.

 

About the Author

Margaret Reid is a freelance writer who is seeking to discover new ways for personal and professional growth. Currently she’s working in the company The Word Point and trying to improve herself in the blogging sphere. Margaret is an experienced and self-driven specialist who cannot imagine her life without writing.

Light + Building 2018: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Light + Building is the world’s largest exhibition of futuristic products and services in the field of lighting, electrical and building automation. And this year’s fair is just days away.

The exhibition serves as an industry platform as well as a meeting place for key international players and visitors. Showcasing the latest in light innovations and smart building service engineering, the fair will be March 18-23, 2018, on the exhibition grounds of Frankfurt am Main.

Light + Building 2018 features a wide array of firsts. What’s more, many exhibits will be representing the best in the field.

Light + Building is Europe’s leading trade fair. Further, it is a celebrated international exhibition of lighting and building automation. More than 2,600 exhibitors will showcase innovative products there. Read on for important details about the event.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: EXHIBITING AT A TRADE SHOW? HERE’S HOW TO DO IT RIGHT

 

Event Details

Industries and Exhibitors

For more detailed information about this trade fair check the official website. To learn more about the brand exhibits, click here

 

Guided Tours

Numerous design innovations and amazing new products are the fair’s key attractions. Besides these wonders, however, you can also arrange for guided tours. A guided tour can be especially helpful if you want to interact with particular brands.

Facilitated by partners, guided tours allow exhibit visitors to gain fresh perspectives while making contacts. The tours are available for industry personnel, such as architects, planners, builders, and operators. Some tours are provided by local authorities and some by the planning departments.

 

 

Events

Fair events are organized into four categories: Emotion, Selection, Skills, and Career. These categories will help visitors organize their time according to their chief area of interest.

 

Global Footfall

The industries encompassing global lighting products and smart building have grown rapidly. Consequently, Light + Building has grown as well.

This year, nearly half of all visitors to the exhibition are from Frankfurt. Visitors and exhibitors will be flooding into Frankfurt from elsewhere in Germany as well. Other countries that will be represented by a high number of visitors and exhibitors include Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Austria, France, Switzerland, Spain, and Poland.

 

Strictly Business

This trade fair is open only to trade visitors. No casual visitors will be allowed admittance. Nor will cameras be allowed. As a matter of fact, the taking of photographs of anything on the premises is prohibited.

 

Navigator App

To help visitors better cover the events at Light and Building 2018, the organizers offer a navigator app designed especially for this exhibition. Plan to use your time in Frankfurt more efficiently by downloading the Light + Building Navigator App. It is available on the App Store as well as on Google Play. Use the app to locate booths and exhibitors of interest. You’ll be able to head straight for them without any hassle.

 

Free WiFi

Wireless access across the fairgrounds will be available free of charge. However, users may access this free WiFi with only one mobile device at any time.

 

Don’t Miss It

So, all you design and technology enthusiasts, don’t miss this 6-day product parade in Frankfurt. Gear up to experience light in action at Lighting + Building 2018.