Entrepreneurship ⯀  

It's certainly an exciting idea to start your own business, especially when you've spent your entire adult life as an employee. There's only so far you can go working for other people. Creating a business of your own gives you the opportunity to control your own destiny.

Marketing ⯀  

In a world and industry that is characterized by evolution, how do you determine the best traits to look for in a marketing manager? When it comes to hiring an accountant or IT specialist, you know the skill set and capabilities to look for. However, unlike these positions, marketing has changed significantly over the years. Technology has changed the face of marketing and the job descriptions of individuals who fit in this post. Today’s marketing specialists have to be on top of trends in the industry, understand social media, digital content, and analytics.

Environment ⯀  

Is your business an SMB, SME or a large enterprise? This is a question that many people rarely think about because at the surface it doesn’t matter after all business is business.

Environment ⯀  

The process of starting a new business can be exhilarating. But there are mundane requirements that you will have to fulfill before you can venture into the world of business. One such important facet is getting the requisite funding to get your startup off the ground. 

There are a lot of financing options available today, but not all of them will fit into your overall goal or plan. It is imperative that you understand your business needs first.

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Before making the big decision

You need to ask yourself fundamental questions. How much money do you require to start? Do you have any assets already? How much of your own money can you invest? Answering these important questions and more will ensure that you make the right choice when the moment comes. Let’s explore some of the financial options at your disposal.

Five financing options

1. Commercial loans

Commercial loans are usually the first choice that comes to the minds of most borrowers. Bank loans have their upsides and downsides, but banking regulations have made this a safer option for most people. We can categorize commercial loans into long-term loans, which cater for large expenses such as acquiring fixed assets, and short-term loans that you can use for day-to-day expenses. However, most banks are wary of financing small businesses, and commercial loans may not be a practical option.

2. Equity investment

If debt is not your cup of tea, you should consider equity financing as an option for financing your business. The option allows your business to get funding from an investor, but there’s a catch: You have to relinquish part of your ownership to the investor. Investors usually bring their business acumen and experience to the table. How much you are willing to give and at what price should be the deciding factor.

3. Self-financing

There are benefits to using your savings to fund your business. Granted, you might not be able to finance your startup 100% using your own money, but you should endeavor to fund 25 to 50% of it from your pocket. It will not only guarantee your equity in the business but will also show potential investors that you are willing to take the risk and are committed to the cause.

4. Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding has increasingly become popular in recent years. This option may not have seemed realistic a couple of years back, but it has become a viable financing option for many businesses today. The advantage with crowdfunding is that you don’t need to give up equity or pay back the money. However, most people struggle in gaining traction. This option may only work if your products and services appeal to millennials.

5. Friends and family

Think about it. The people who will most likely buy into your vision and support it are those closest to you. There is a significant downside to taking this route, of course. You run the risk of ruining personal relationships that you hold dear. To avoid unnecessary fights and disagreements, ensure that you have a structured agreement beforehand.

How to ensure you secure that loan

Lenders care about their money, and they are not just going to lend it to anyone who comes knocking. If you are serious about financing your business venture, you need to position yourself as a creditworthy borrower. There are four crucial things that lenders look for when evaluating a loan application.

• Cash flow

It will be measured using your cash flow forecast in the business plan.

• Collateral 

It is the value of the assets you are willing to put up as an assurance.

• Commitment 

You can express your commitment by investing your own money.

• Character 

Having an excellent credit rating will significantly increase your loan prospects.

The first step you should take in your business is to have a solid business plan. It will make it easier for the lender to trust you. Choosing the right financial option will have a long-lasting impact on the success of your business. You should do thorough research and deliberate over the issue before arriving at a decision.

By  Robert Cordray	Embed
Bio Rob is a writer from Albany, New York. He specializes in business, adventure, and self-help articles.

Business Tools ⯀  

The restaurant business has changed drastically in the way it interacts with customers to win over them and make them spend more money and time at restaurants. This shift has been possible due to the use of modern technology in the form of digital signage for communicating with customers more carefully and transparently.

Today, restaurant signs, especially the digital menu boards have become the backbone of the restaurant business. Guests can now view the complete range of foods on offer together with all kinds of business promotional information, and that facilitates a better understanding of what they would like to order. After all, guests must first see what is available and weigh all options before ordering. The digital signage has brought complete transparency in the restaurant business that supports better business growth.

By using displays based on digital technology, restaurant owners are now in the driver's seat as they can influence the choice of customers. Technology has empowered business owners to promote brands and items that are more profitable while they are also able to change consumer behavior. During the days of static and chalkboard displays, there was no clarity about the entire range of foods on offer and guests would often base their choice on the lowest priced items. It was bad for business as it was missing better business opportunities. With the digital signage allowing more elaborate display of product description, it is possible to promote exclusive high-value products that add more value business.

Digital signage saves time and money, makes daily operations smoother and facilitates better marketing. Overall, digital signage streamlines the operations of the restaurant business and how it happens would be apparent on reading this article.

Promotions and marketing becomes easy

With the advent of digital signage, marketing and advertising now need much less effort and time than what it used to be earlier. There is no more need to outsource menu printing that used to be a time taking and laborious job. It is possible to create the menu and edit it in the way you want and whenever you like because you can do it on your own without any external help. It is as simple as using a personal computer by using customized templates to create the display of your choice. Taking advantage of the dynamic display of digital signage, you can upload high definition images and even videos that aid in marketing. It is possible to use the digital signage to create your own marketing campaign.

Highlight the specials

If your restaurant offers special items and packages during any particular time of the day or weeks like happy hours discount or daily specials, you can publicize it by using the digital signage. You can create the schedule as a program that would display automatically at specific times on the signage to attract the attention of customers. By using the display, you can make any announcement that informs customers about some special programs like a live band that attracts more business. The technology allows you to update information throughout the day without having to worry about attending to the system to adjust displays as you can make updates happen automatically.

Anytime update and from anywhere

The restaurant menu is very dynamic by itself as it is prone to changes that may be required at any moment. Even if you are not always introducing new items in the menu, the necessity to change price may be compelling and requires immediate implementation. The more you delay in updating the price, more you are likely to lose money. As you can edit the content of the digital display whenever you like, the fear of losing out on business opportunity does not exist at all when you are using the signage.

For a chain of restaurants that have multiple locations, it is possible to maintain complete consistency in communication throughout all areas because the change that you make in the system reflects across all screens at the same time. You can make changes remotely that applies to the system network thereby enhancing the credibility of business as you speak the same words in the same way regardless of business location. It is an easy solution that any trained staff can handle with ease.

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Create more customer involvement

Digital signage is not just for creating menu boards because you can use it more creative ways for a business that helps to build a brand reputation through increased involvement of customers. You can use the display for entertaining customers instead of always displaying business related information. You can present selected feeds and programs for entertainment based on the consumer interest ranging from sports and news feeds to fashion shows to cartoons and local weather. Riding on the popularity of the social media that the majority of customers prefer, you can even arrange to connect customers to social networks on the display screen that they can access from their mobile devices. Encouraging customers to use their mobile devices interactively on the large screen in restaurants is a great way to keep them involved so that they spend more time that could mean more business. It is indeed a big leap in marketing.

Digital displays reduce operational costs

The market dynamics are much in favor of digital signage because of the constant lowering of the price of commercial displays and high definition televisions that make the systems affordable. It is true that the initial investment for installing digital signage is greater than the cost of traditional publicity materials, but considering the low operational cost and the business opportunities that come with it, the return you get from it is much more than what you invest. And, the return on investment is what matters most in business. Digital signage is a onetime investment that keeps on giving returns as long as you can make proper use of it.

Determine the features of digital signage that would be useful for your business and incorporate it into the system so that you can realize the full business potential.

By  Karen Anthony	Embed
Karen is a Business Tech Analyst. She is very responsible towards her job. She loves to share her knowledge and experience with her friends and colleagues.

Business ⯀  

Pets are a huge business opportunity. According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), spending on pets reached an estimated $66 billion in 2016 and are expected to hit $96 billion by 2020. That’s a booming market with plenty of space for newcomers.

A pet-themed ecommerce store selling treats, training guides, toys, grooming products or really anything you think pets and pet lovers would love to own has the potential to be a huge hit—if properly managed.

These tips for pet-focused ecommerce vendors will help you get started.

Step One: Build a Cute Website

First things first, create an ecommerce website that is visually appealing and easy to use. While some e-store vendors choose to build their sites from scratch, others have opted for quicker and more affordable options. Ecommerce website builders, like Shopify, offer beautiful sites complete with payment processing, security features and more while simultaneously allowing for custom design elements. This is a great suggestion for entrepreneurs who don’t want to be weighed down by cumbersome coding or expensive website agencies. And, since you’re targeting pet owners, you have an opportunity to make your website cute and fun. Post images of adorable animals with your products. Add a little color and flare to really make your brand stand out.

Step Two: Engage Shoppers with Social Media

Digital marketing can seem intimidating to newbie vendors, but in reality it’s cheaper and simpler than you might think. Start by opening brand pages on several of the top social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Next, find out what your customers want and give it to them. Online shoppers love coupon codes, contests and news about the latest product releases. Pet fans enjoy photos or memes of cute animals, discussions about pet-related topics and suggestions for activities to do with their cats or dogs.

Combine all of these suggestions and you have an almost unlimited source of content for your social media pages where you will encourage your followers to share your store with friends and family.

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Step Three: Start a Pet-Themed Blog

Do you love reading about animals? So do your shoppers. That’s why many ecommerce entrepreneurs embrace blogging as a way to build customer trust. Further, a well-crafted blog increases SEO and drives shoppers to your virtual store. Do the smart thing and build a blog, either through your ecommerce platform provider or by linking back to your e-store. Hurting for content ideas? Share training tips for anxious puppies or discuss common issues faced by reptile owners. There are plenty of ideas out there. All it takes is a little practice to get the creative juices flowing.

Step Four: Get Creative with Order Fulfillments

So, you’ve attracted customers with your digital marketing expertise and coaxed them to make a purchase using your beautiful new website. All that’s left is to send them their packages.

But wait a minute, you have another chance to make this last step special. Instead of sending your buyer a plain brown box, customize your packaging to reflect your brand identity. Covering your box or envelope with silhouettes of puppies and kitties is an easy way to excite your customers.

It will also behoove you to insert limited-time coupons, news about upcoming specials, company fliers or even freebie treats or stickers. In addition to encouraging brand loyalty, it will restart the marketing process, which leads to more sales.

These tips for pet-focused ecommerce vendors will set you on the path to a successful and fulfilling (see what we did there?) business making pets and their owners happy every day.

By  33rd Square	Embed

Business ⯀  

Are you in the process of expanding your company? As the business owner, you know you want to keep a positive atmosphere among your employees while growing. You also want to maintain the continuity of operations. You may have hired and trained most of the current employees yourself, but as you grow, you probably won’t be able to keep that up.

Here are five tips to keep your employees happy and positive as well as focused on the company goals while the company grows.

1. Stay Focused

Keep the business objectives clear and make sure your employees are familiar with them. Objectives can change from year to year or even month to month in some industries. That’s the only way to stay competitive. But by keeping your employees in the loop about the company’s projected future, it will keep them invested in their work.

2. Be Positive

Your company’s employee retention rate will be higher if you’re able to keep your employees feeling motivated and positive about both the business and their position. If employees aren't being utilized, managers need to move them to more challenging roles.

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3. Share Information

Company cultures break down when employees feel that they are out of the loop. No one wants to feel that their job would be easier if they just had the right information. They just always have the information necessary to do the job. Your company can use employee manuals along with business collaboration software on the company intranet to keep everyone apprised of what your business focuses on right now and where it is headed. Slack could be good option for communication.

4. Reward Employees for Performance

A small business needs a mixed menu of rewards that recognize employees for their contributions as individuals and as members of teams. Employees who are low performers may need some extra support from their managers so they can also earn recognition.

5. Weed Out Negativity

One of the biggest threats to any company culture is when employees become negative. They start complaining about working conditions, or a lack of recognition, and that negativity affects others. No one wants to be around a negative person, but it can be hard for managers to correct their behavior. Make weeding out negativity a top priority to protect your positive workplace culture.

You can get better results from employees in terms of productivity when they are engaged in meaningful work. They have to like the tasks they perform and be able to draw positive social benefits from their position. If they’re unhappy with your culture or don’t feel challenged in their position, they’ll gravitate to another company. Do what you can now to keep your employees for the long-haul.

By  Claire Stewart	Embed
Claire Stewart is a freelance writer and blogger focused on writing about health, travel, and business among other topics. She graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelors in Women’s Studies and currently lives in Seattle with her goldfish, Merlin.

Entrepreneurship ⯀   

Without mincing words, the street food business is gaining popularity in many cities all over the world. More people are patronizing them on a regular basis and a great number of them will remain in business for a long period of time.

Street food is becoming many people’s favorite because they offer different types of menus to their customers. A street food business is usually run with food trucks, kiosks or food carts. They are often seen in bus stations, shopping malls, stadiums, office parks and airports.

Smart owners of food trucks utilize high quality restaurant equipment like a commercial charcoal grill and a deep fryer to prepare their menus efficiently. Perhaps you’ve been thinking about starting a street food business, here are some of its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

Increased profits

People from different walks of life are recognizing street food as a faster alternative to traditional restaurants. Typical examples include the employees of this generation and young people generally. Street food is affordable, this in turn lead to more customer and better revenue.

Flexibility

Moving food carts or trucks from one location to another is quite easy. People engaging in this type of business can quickly decide to relocate if the market conditions are not suitable. There is no stress like that of opening a regular restaurant.

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Low costs

Although a lot of effort is involved, running a street food business requires low cost when compared to a standard restaurant. This is because less amount of money is spent on other areas of the business such as business rentals and electricity bills. Many street food entrepreneurs prefer using locally sourced food products in their menus. It is also easy to set up.

Creation of jobs

Unemployed individuals can decide to set up a street food business in order to sustain themselves. They may hire extra hands for the smooth running of the business. This move ensures that jobs are provided for other people too.

Disadvantages

Difficulty in obtaining funds

An entrepreneur kick starting or expanding his street food business usually needs funds to put some things in order. Banks rarely give out loans for this kind of business due to the risks that comes with it. Getting funds from other sources can also be a daunting task.

Stiff competition

It’s possible that there are other street food entrepreneurs➞ in your locality. Some will even offer better services and menus to people. In this type of situation, it’s imperative to stay ahead of competitors so as not to go out of business.

Exposure to unfavorable weather conditions

When running a street food business, understand that it will be greatly affected by seasonal changes and various weather conditions. If your outlet is a food cart or kiosk, little or no shelter is available for protection.

It goes without saying that weighing the pros and cons of a street food business can help to determine whether it’s a venture that you can delve into. Even though there are disadvantages, creating a strategy that will assist in minimizing them should be a priority.

By  33rd Square	Embed

Business  

Being a business owner can be challenging because it takes time for a business to grow. The good news is that there are several strategies that you can use in order to grow your business.

Growing a small business can be challenging. Time and money is required to grow a small business. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that you can make your business a success.

Build Relationships

Networking and building relationships are two of the keys to building businesses. There are many ways that you can network. You can attend meetups in your area. You can also attend job fairs. Make sure that you have your business cards with you at all times.

Every person that you meet is someone you can potentially have a long-lasting business relationship with. Attending different events in your area will also give you the opportunity to promote your business.

Focus on Great Customer Service

Your customers are the heart of your business. If customers love your business, then they will likely tell your family members and friends about it. This is a simple way to grow your business.

Ask your customers to give you constructive criticism. You can use this criticism to improve your business. Listening to your customers shows them that you really care. Customers want to do business with a company that really cares about them.

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Free Stuff

Customers love free things. If you offer a free product or service, and the customer likes it, then they will likely do business with you again. For example, if you are selling something, then you can offer free product samples. If you are a service-based business, then you should allow your customers to try your service for free for a limited amount of time. Giving free products and services is also a great way to market your business.

Hire the Right People

Your employees can make or break your business. In order for your business to grow, you need to have people who are willing to work hard. People who will not mind staying late or coming in early. That is why you will need to carefully screen your employees before you hire them.

Your employees can also help you promote your business. The more promotion your business gets, the more successful it will be. Furthermore, hiring the people will take some of the stress off of you. Your employees will be able to take care of some of the tasks while you focus on other things.

Use Social Media Platforms

Growing your business today is easier than it was in the past thanks to social media. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are some of the social networking sites that you can use to promote your business. Post photos of your products and services on Instagram. Give people regular updates on Twitter and Facebook. You should also discuss your products and services in detail on Facebook. Some companies, like ACN Inc, even invest in managing Tumblr and Pinterest pages. Social media benefits you in many ways. It is an easy and free way to promote your business. Sixty-five percent of adults use social media on a regular basis. Social media also allows you to reach all ages and demographics. The content on social media can easily be shared. That is why promoting yourself on social media can potentially help you reach thousands of customers.

Being a business owner can be challenging because it takes time for a business to grow. The good news is that there are several strategies that you can use in order to grow your business. You can network and build relationships with people. You can also give free samples and promote your business on social media. Hiring the right people is another way to grow your business. Furthermore, you will need to consistently provide excellent customer service.

By  Kara Masterson	Embed

Marketing  

You have a brand-new Shopify website that's been created with a great design, fantastic functionality, and plenty of great product photos. However, you still might struggle to convince visitors to buy from you unless you can get them to visit your website in the first place.

Marketing is a crucial part of your long-term Shopify strategy for success. If you can apply the right search engine solutions to your eCommerce store, then you should be able to outshine your competitors and make sure that you get the most out of your sales. Here are a few SEO tips designed specifically for users of Shopify.

1. Put your Brand Second

When you're writing title tags on Shopify for your pages, then you should think about placing your brand at the end. Although this can sound counter-intuitive to some, it's a good idea for smaller companies. Think of it this way, you might be a new website that sells a range of running trainers and shoes. After you search for the keyword "running trainers", in Google, you'll find that a lot of brand selling these items are very well established. However, you'll also notice that the highest-ranking brands are the ones that don't include their brand towards the beginning of the tag.

This means that you should think about placing the keywords that you want to rank for at the beginning of your tag, instead of your brand or company name. Remember that Google puts more weight on the keywords that are at the beginning of your tag than the ones at the end.

It's also worth keeping in mind that you're likely to struggle when it comes to competing for a high-volume keyword. That's why you should define the keyword at the front of your title tag as much as possible to ensure that it gets you access to a more segmented group of customers. The more you target your keyword, the more likely you are to hit on niche searches that are more likely to convert.

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2. Use your Blog

With Shopify, it's easy to set up a blog that you can use with your eCommerce website. Blogs are a great way to keep your content strategy in check and ensure that people are more likely to visit your website. However, there are many stores on Shopify that still don't have a blog. This area of the site is often neglected, but it could be the next step in boosting your marketing success.

A blog helps to keep your website fresh and updated, and just a single blog post per week that contains helpful information can be enough to inform search engines that your website is alive and kicking. At the same time, a blog shows that you have knowledge about your products and industry. Search engines love website owners who prove themselves to be an authority in their niche capable of helping their customers.

Blogs are also useful at helping you to rank for keywords that you want to be connected with your company, but you don't have room to include on your website. Your blog ensures that you can apply the right Shopify strategy for SEO by infusing keywords naturally into your posts.

3. Links are Crucial for Shopify Success

When it comes to the most crucial aspects of the internet, it's hard to underestimate the power of backlinks. Backlinks are the pathways that can be formed from one website to another, and your Shopify website desperately needs backlinks if you want to improve its authority, which will help you to rank higher for different keywords. Of course, it's not enough to simply pack your website full of any backlinks. Instead, you need backlinks that point towards your website from relevant and industry-strong websites that have a strong domain authority to boast about.

If your eCommerce site is brand new, you should be able to boost yourself significantly with backlinks to your website. The best way to get these links is through posting on other people's sites as a guest, or adding yourself to the right directories. You can also build relationships with websites that conduct blogger reviews too.

Your products and blog posts should also be valuable enough that people naturally want to link back to them, so make sure that you're careful with everything that you post.

By  33rd Square	Embed

Home Improvement  

The well-made but boring homes of generations past aren't selling as well. The problem is that major renovations cost money and don't necessarily provide the boost in sales price to justify them. You need to not only get your house maximum attention with minimal investment, you want to close the deal fast. 

Here are some technologies that can help you get the best price when selling your home.

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Smart Technology 

Adding features like smart lighting, smart thermostats, or even a Wi-Fi network buyers could add their own devices to can immediately boost home appeal for younger buyers. Just be careful not to overspend. You can install this tech for a few hundred dollars, but if the home is already very low-priced or highly valued, it may not make much impact on value.

Internet

Even if you're using a real estate agent, don't assume that they're also expert digital marketers. You can provide your own content that can be communicated to potential buyers by providing them a single link.

Real Estate Sites

You don't have to build your own web page to sell your home. Instead, there are many "For Sale By Owner" and other classified sites featuring a real estate section. They're relatively cheap, and give you the chance to add your own sales-driving information, photos, and often video.

Social Media

The great thing about social media is that it's free. You may have your own profile on a major site already. Start some conversation on your home by adding photos, facts, and video in your posts. If you can generate some buzz about your home and the fact that it's available, it could look like competition and spur interested parties to close.

Some other digital media you could use include mapping portals. Some will allow you to mask your address while still showing the neighborhood. If your property is tidy, you could also buy or borrow a drone for some fly-over shots. You could hire someone with 3-D software to create more detailed virtual models or 360-degree tours of your home and property.

Property Settlement Agents

One of your best options for getting closings done sooner is the advent of online settlement agents, such as those at KDD Conveyancing Services. They can share documents, provide links to Land Registry records, and enable digital signatures. Closings can be done over the internet in real time, without the trouble of traveling to a formal meeting. They also might have access to popular real estate sites that you as an owner wouldn’t otherwise have access too.So long as you're honest and forthcoming, selling your home is faster and easier than ever before. Just make sure that you’re using all of the technical resources available to you.

By  Hannah Whittenly	Embed
Author Bio - Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, California.

Big Data  

It is possible for any small business to benefit from big data. This is a valuable tool that can provide small businesses with a number of advantages.

The positive aspects of big data are how it provides small businesses with the opportunity to react quickly to the results of data collection and more.

Understanding Customers

Big data makes it easier for a small business to obtain a complete picture of their customer base. They will be able to know patterns of purchasing, what are the preferences as well as what makes the small business preferable. It's also possible to know if customers are recommending the small business to others. This can make a small business aware of important changes they may need to make and more.

Cost Effective

It is possible for the collection of big data in a small business to pay for itself in a short period of time. Many small businesses are able to have minimum data collection abilities. They can slowly increase the benefits of the data collection as the business grows and expands. This is essential as the level of competition among small businesses is always increasing. It is important that a small business put forth every effort to transition from a company that makes intuition-driven decisions to one where decisions are based on analysis of collected data.

Trends

Things such as website data extraction can help a company determine if a trend will impact their business and identify if it needs to be quickly embraced. Every business will be subject to trends in their industry. This will require a company to be in the best possible position to take advantage of it. The collection of big data will provide important information, so a small business is able to see a trend in its industry and be ready to take advantage of it.

Customer Interactions

It has been estimated that less than 18 percent of small businesses utilize systems designed to collect data on their company's interactions with its customers. This type of data collection is considered essential. It is more involved than simply obtaining customer’s email address and requesting they take a survey online. The use of software designed to capture more types of information will give a small business a clear picture of a customer's experience with their company. This is a way to identify any accommodations that may need to take place.

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Competition

Many small businesses don't devote enough time to learning about their competition. Too often this is limited to what others say about the competition as well as visiting their business or website. It's now possible to collect financial data that is easily obtained. A small business can also use social media analysis to obtain information on the popularity of a company as well as what customers are saying about the competition and more.

Improve Operations

Optimizing its processes in a small business is made easier when big data is utilized. A company needs to invest in processes development that generates data. This could involve sensors on production machinery as well as company vehicles and more. It's possible to create a situation where data is being regularly obtained. This data can be then used to make important operational alterations to increase productivity.

Efficiency

Most of the systems for small businesses associated with big data are simple to install. These systems can begin collecting important data within weeks and even days. It won't take a commitment of months or years to complete the installation. Many of these systems are able to be integrated with a company's existing system. This means a company can have the benefits of big data without paying the high prices charged by some specialists. These systems also may not require staff to have extensive training to properly operate them. Many of these systems are very user-friendly.

How business is conducted is constantly changing. There was a time when a small business was run more on emotion with little analysis. Today, the trend of collecting big data is being done by the smallest businesses. It is a trend that is expected to only increase in the future.

By  Mark Palmer	Embed
Author Bio - Mark Palmer is a small business expert and has a passion for helping entrepreneurs make the most out of their company. As a freelance writer, Mark hopes to influence others so they can have a positive business experience.

Careers  

It used to be a rather cumbersome process in the past for companies to recruit the best and most qualified individuals for any given position. Headhunters ruled the day, and many companies were left hoping that the right candidates would, in fact, find them.

Times have certainly changed in this regard, buoyed by a myriad of technological innovations that have changed the way that many businesses recruit personnel today. Let us look at four examples of how this is the case.

CRM Technology is Changing the Way Applicants Are Tracked

Depending on the size of an organization, a great many applicants can be recruited and apply. It might be tempting to hire the first person that seems to be perfect for the position, but this makes a poor use of the overall recruitment process. There needs to be a way to effectively manage all of the applicants, classify them, and eventually arrive at a pool of candidates the legitimately fit the bill as being the perfect person for the job. Technology has enabled this to happen in ways never before dreamed possible, and it can all be manage with a modern CRM system. The same way the customers are tracked, coded, and tracked can apply to potential recruits. This enables Human Resources to streamline the recruitment process and manage applications, even if they number in the thousands.

Recruiters Can Now Engage With Recruits More Effectively Online

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In the past, recruiters were forced to rely primarily on telephone and face to face conversations with prospective candidates. Not only was this a time consume process, it often served to limit the geographical reach of that the recruiters had. It was simply not productive to consider any candidate that was too far, as it would have resulted in a great deal of back and forth before and invitation to an interview could actually be dished out. Technology has changed all of this by allowing recruiters to engage with recruits almost entirely online. This has opened up the process and allowed recruiters to handle more applications and effectively narrow down the pool more quickly and easily.

Not only that, but recruiters can now engage with potential candidates through their own websites. Many people—freelancers and those hoping to get a job—have their own websites that they were able to create themselves or with the help of enterprise web development services. These sites act as a portfolio and as a visual resume to employers. It allows them to see whether or not the candidate truly has something that they want.

Virtual Interviewing Capabilities

It is expensive to bring in a recruit for an interview if they are out of the area. It is equally expensive to send recruiters to other areas of the region, country, or globe in search of qualified recruits to conduct interviews with. Even with the expense, however, this used to be the only way to accomplish the task. What this did was limit the number of recruits that were seriously considered for a job, potentially costing a company a great prospective candidate in return. Technology has one again solved this problem by enabling initial interviews to take place in a virtual environment. This allows recruiters to narrow down the candidate pool and only invite the cream of the crop in for a personal face to face. 

Metrics and Data Analysis Made Much Simpler

Technology has also made it possible to analyze industry trends and track certain metrics relating to the recruitment process. This allows recruiters to know what type of compensation to offer in order to attract the best and most qualified candidates to any given position. When used effectively, this can give the company a competitive advantage over others operating in the same industry.

These are just four of the ways that technology is effectively making recruitment of quality personnel more effective and streamlined. What used to be a localized search for new talent can now become global. Recruiters have more time to spend searching for new employees, and those looking for a new position have more avenues at their disposal to make themselves known. Technology is a definite win in this area!

By  Hannah Whittenly	Embed
Author Bio - Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, California.

Business  

For businesses that are struggling just to break even, finding new ways to optimize sales is often the first step towards ensuring a brighter and more financially-secure future.

Resources and Strategies for Optimizing Sales

Generating superior sales figures is one of the key metrics for measuring the growth and success of a small business. Devising the right strategy or taking advantage of the resources and opportunities that may allow small businesses to better establish themselves, increase revenue and profitability or develop a larger and more robust customer base can make quite a difference.

Superior Lead Generation

Without the right leads, even the most accomplished sales professional may be unable to make a sale Learning how to optimize the lead generation process can create additional opportunities which may lead to higher sales volume. Newer businesses, smaller startups and organizations who lack the visibility and market-share of their larger counterparts would do well to focus the bulk of their initial efforts toward generating more leads or ensuring that potential sales opportunities will be of sufficient quality to make a difference.

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Enhanced Conversion Rates

Converting potential consumers and visitors into customers in greater numbers can have a major impact on the profitability of a business. Identifying and addressing key factors that may be causing customer hesitation or lost sales can often hold the key to ensuring that sales goals are able to be met or exceeded. From providing sales professionals with additional training to overhauling a website or creating a mobile app that allows customers to make purchases with greater ease and convenience, there are plenty of ways that businesses may be able to improve conversion rates. Businesses whose only problem may be an inability to close the deal could be making a costly misstep by focusing their efforts on lead generation or attempting to entice existing customers to make additional purchases.

Capitalizing on Repeat Business Opportunities

Customers who have already made a purchase or done business with a service provider in the past are often one of the most lucrative demographics in terms of marketing focus or promotional efforts. Dealing with any concerns that may be having a negative impact on customer satisfaction or providing additional incentives in order to encourage repeat purchases or foster future business opportunities may prove to be quite rewarding. Businesses that fail to develop the right brand or establish a reputation for providing either quality goods or superior services could be placing themselves at a significant disadvantage. Possessing a better understanding of how to increase repeat business opportunities is never a concern that should be discounted.

Using Big Data Analytics to See the Big Picture

Big data analytics that can provide enhanced insight into the buying habits and needs of customers is one of the single most effective resources when it comes to optimizing or improving sales figures. From the in-depth analysis needed to generate either broad customer profile templates or individual customer profiles or stream processing applications that are able to analytics in real-time, the right resources ensure that businesses will not want for the data and insight that will make the most difference. Data analytics can benefit every aspect of the sales process by shedding much-needed light on efforts to generate new leads, find more effective ways to optimize conversion rates or ensure that customers are more likely to keep coming back for more.

Crafting the Best Sales Strategy

There is no one sales strategy that may fit the needs of every business. Taking some time to assess the effectiveness of existing efforts in order to determine which aspects are working and which efforts may require adjustment is often a very smart move. Applications like Apache Kafka can be a real asset when it comes to sifting and analyzing data pertaining to past sales, current customer needs or future consumer trends. Access to the right resources and solutions can allow businesses to craft and implement a strategy that may lead to superior sales figures and greater future success.

By  Kevin Faber	Embed
Kevin Faber is the CEO of Silver Summit Capital. He graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in Business/Managerial Economics. In his free time, Kevin is usually watching basketball or kicking back and reading a good book.

IT  

The share of software development outsourcing is ever increasing and expected to make up more than 12% this year. Companies are expanding their IT departments and reducing product delivery time and cost. How to follow their way efficiently?

IT providers are now deeply concerned about increasing the value of efficient IT outsourcing. While making offshore resource augmentation, the CIOs aspire to involve a manageable number of outsourced staff and define what works out better in financial terms. However, the key considerations for choosing the outsourcing vendor are not limited by the cost reduction. The companies make a point of technical sense, innovation, experience and staffing opportunities, and even cultural affinity.

Here are 3 brief facts on IT outsourcing trends and stats in 2017:

• Cost reduction remains the most considerable factor to strengthen the team with offshore developers, followed by the conformity with the business objectives and access to resources.
• 65% IT vendors are planning to increase the amount of outsourced work
• 20% of companies are reported to improve project’s efficiency

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Before rushing into filling in the staffing blanks by means of external resources, a business needs to fully understand rates across different global regions, and set their financial goals. At the same time, it’s worth questioning: does ends justify the means? The priorities across the IT outsourcing have shifted to skills- and technology- based, besides, the product end value shouldn’t be underestimated. Instead, the choice of potential vendor requires comprehensive investigation of the core factors:

• Vendor environment – real estate prices, taxes, GDP.
• Effective management – a high-level project management and a team lead who will help to manage the team and tackle all technical issues.
• Cultural match – language conformity, working approach. 

The closer look on random top outsourcing vendors at clutch.co showed how drastically can the prices vary across the regions.

USA: Tivix, San Francisco, California, $ 100-149

1. English language 
2. Law regulations conformity
3. Advanced IT culture & background

Although hiring developers from the US and Western Europe ensures the high legal and technical standards, the prices may seem inaffordable for limited budget.

Asia: MindInventory, <$ 25

1. Considerable/diverse talent pool
2. Low-cost projects
3. High employee loyalty 

The opportunity to delegate tasks to Asian teams and save up to 80% of the costs has made them the most demanded region to outsource. It takes years of market investigation and to find out whether it suits the company, and what kind of outsourcing model will suit you best.

The top players on the market are India and China, followed by lower-cost Malaysia and Philippines.

Eastern Europe: Elinext, $ 25-49

1. Understanding of foreign markets, customer service, and other cultures
2. Profound technical skills
3. Reasonable price

Eastern Europe cannot boast the prices as low as they are in India or China (cost savings up to 50 percent in comparison with average 75 percent in India), but it has proven to provide better development processes, quality assurance, and proximity to Western Europe.

The sector can be divided into two regions: Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia (lower costs) and Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and the Balkan countries (higher costs).


It becomes clear that if a company turns to external outsourcing, they will considerably reduce expenses and at the same time get exceptional-quality software packages on time.

By  33rd Square	Embed