Business Tips

When you’re growing a small business , you can use all the help you can get. Whether your small business is office-based or home-based, investing in a few innovative devices can make everyday life a little easier. Here are five of the latest and greatest devices for small businesses.  1. Mr. Coffee Smart Coffee Maker  Mr. Coffee takes the idea of programmable coffee makers to the next level with the smart coffee maker that you can control with an app on your phone. That’s right—you can brew coffee with the touch of a button while you’re still cozy in bed. With the mobile app , you can set a weekly schedule, adjust brew times, and even set reminders so you’re never without a fresh cup and can start your at-home workday off right.  2. Energous WattUp  WattUp from Energous is an amazing business tool sure to be a game changer thanks to its wireless charging capabilities. And we aren’t talking the kind of wireless where it still has to be placed somewhere specific. This...

As a small business owner it is crucial to ensure affordable and comprehensive coverage options for your employees. But picking the right health insurance provider and plans can be intimidating and confusing to say the least. I know from experience that it can be a complete headache so I was very pleased to discover the new UnitedHealthcare Small Business website. They created a simplified and convenient site that allows you to learn about health insurance plans, get quotes, and purchase plans that are the best fit for your 2-50 employee company and your valued employees. Their industry-leading digital shopping step-by-step process let's you avoid that headache and instead give you some real peace of mind. I've also personally been a member of  UnitedHealthcare  for the past 2+ years so I know from firsthand experience that their policy prices and coverage are exceptional. It's a company I've always been able to rely on and now they have even more additional support fe...

Achieving an A or A+ rating for your business with the BBB can help you attract a higher number of quality customers . A lower rating will hurt your customer base, so you need to look into climbing out of the hole and making sure you do not fall back in it. If you want an outstanding stamp of approval, read the four sections below, and you will get off to a great start.  Reduce # Of Complaints the BBB Gets About Your Business  There are a myriad of factors that have an effect on your BBB rating, but the single biggest one to influence your score is the number of complaints the BBB receives about your business. Whether your business has five customers or 5000, ensuring you have nothing for customers to complain about is the plan to implement. It is vital to have a system already set up or fine tune your current system to ensure customers receive rapid delivery of services or products and equally prompt customer service. Being proactive prevents problems before the turn into ne...

Money is without a doubt one of our greatest stressors. So, perhaps it’s no surprise that a time of year that focuses solely on our earnings and expenditures and requires us to answer to Uncle Sam can be a bit overwhelming. Small business owners have the added pressure of prepping their business’s taxes and making sure that all the necessary information is in place so that their employees can prepare their personal taxes. If it’s all starting to feel like too much, here are a few tips to help lighten the load:  Get Help  Whether it’s asking an employee to reorganize a troublesome filing system, using W2 software to prep those documents for employees, or calling a trusted CPA to prepare your return, when it comes to taxes it is always ok to ask for help. Just because your taxes have to be done each year, doesn’t make it an easy process. There are many papers to gather and numbers to crunch, and being the top dog of your business doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself. T...

You can be forgiven for thinking that with the digital revolution fingering every part of our lives, that offline marketing is dead. Old-fashioned, old-hat and passé, why on earth would you want leaflets and business cards, brochures and banners? Because they are still worthwhile offline marketing techniques that connect people with your business.  These five affordable offline marketing tips, brought to you by Colour Graphics , will make you question and reconsider your approach to marketing. Are your marketing activities hitting all the right notes?  #1 Network  The first thing that came to mind when you read the sub-heading was spending hours at a hosted session, attempting to strike up conversations with everyone in the room. And failing, miserably.  However, networking is another work for conversation and rather than attending mass networking events where everyone else seems to know each other, have a conversation with people who would be willing to buy or tria...

We’re not going to lie to you; starting your own business is very challenging. One might even go as far as to say that it is a hectic and daunting task as well. You may have excelled in the business courses you took, but you probably lack the real world experience.  There is usually a lot of money that goes into beginning your own business as well.  There is also the task of knowing your target audience and getting the right crew to back you up. Not to mention the demands of a payroll, accounting, IT management, workplace compliance, and human resources responsibilities. This is what throws rookie entrepreneurs off their game. But this is not the end of the road. Just because you feel anxious doesn’t mean you let it take you over.  Even the most successful businessmen had their share of fear when they were starting out. The point is that they eventually overcame their fears and took the plunge. You can do it as well. Make the following steps a part of your life from now ...

When you are a business owner, you have to constantly look for new, innovative ways to slash your costs. One of the best ways to do this is to look for ways to lower your energy bills. If you can reduce your energy costs, you can use the capital to grow your business and make it stronger. Here are five energy solutions you can implement to improve your business.  1. Use Energy-Efficient Electronics  If your business is using older electronics, you could be wasting a lot of energy. Most newer electronics are much more energy-efficient than their older counterparts. While it may cost you money upfront, in the long-run you will save money by lowering your energy bills when you buy new, energy-efficient electronic devices.  2. Install A Wind Turbine  One of the best ways that you can lower your company’s energy bills is to make the transition to renewable energy. If you install a wind turbine it can drastically reduce the amount of electricity that you have to purchase...

Do you ever feel like you're banging your head against the wall when it comes to marketing your small business?  In today's always connected world, the fact is all brands have to be smarter in the way they look at marketing. There's not a day that goes by that a new marketing technique or tip is dropped in your lap promising you a “ revolutionary way to market your small business ”. Excited by the possibilities you try it out only to find out your business struggles to reach its marketing goals. It's time to stop over- thinking the process & start doing something that's all too natural.  "Approximately 65% of our conversation consist of stories” estimates scientist & writer Jeremy Hsu. Everyday we tell stories about ourselves & others. Stories are in our blood as we've been telling them since the caveman days. We remember & learn subjects best through stories. When it comes down to it, human beings are storytelling animals. Our natural stren...

One of the best ways to make money is to avoid spending it in the first place. It can be hard to find ways to cut costs without passing up opportunities, but there are a few methods that consistently work. They all take a little bit of effort, but that effort can pay big dividends in the long run.  1. Use HR Software  Labor is always expensive, so it's a good place to start when the time comes to cut costs. The best way to do that is to automate processes to reduce the amount of work needed to do a job. The Human Resources department is a great candidate for this, since there are a variety of modern software programs that can automate large parts of the process.  The average HR worker spends most of his or her day on administrative tasks, like tracking payroll and attendance. Doing it by hand can take a long time, but using human resources software means the computer can handle most of the bookkeeping—with minimal human oversight. That cuts down on labor time and allows...