Category: Business

Reasons to Hire a Marketing Professional for a Start-Up

In this day and age, everything can be easily done. A teenager can make a beautiful website, there are virtual accountants, and you can design an entire house through an app on your phone. Still, while most of these look intriguing, most of these areas should be left for the experts.

Most start-ups look for ways to save as much money as possible. This means self-made websites, designing a logo on an app, and so on. But even if this is doable, there are a couple of professionals you shouldn’t “save on”, and one of those is the marketing specialist. As easy as it may seem, marketing is a layered area of work, and while a lot of websites and apps say you can do it on your own, this may not be true. Even if you manage to do it yourself, you’ll end up losing time and energy, which for a start-up equals money.

A marketing manager is in charge of everything that your company is for the consumer. They write statements, press-releases, sometimes they talk in interviews as the face of the company, but mostly they polish your image from posters and logos to written statements. Their job is to attract a wider audience while raising brand awareness by creating marketing campaigns. These campaigns promote products and your image through almost every form of media such as radio, television, print, and online platforms.

There are various types of marketing positions depending on what type of company you have. Some companies focus on social media, while some focus more on public relations and international marketing. Some have a product, therefore they need someone who’s the best in product marketing. There are B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) businesses, each needing different types of marketing campaigns. B2B marketing focuses more on the economy and society of the demographic, and relies on logical, process-driven decisions, while B2C marketing focuses on emotion-drivel purchasing decisions, and leans on a specific group within customers (some may aim for communication with mothers, while others lean on children or a specific profession, or maybe 5-10 different groups of demographics).

Marketing managers are the main creative, analytical, and managerial outlets in the company. Their position ranges from print to social media, meaning that a good marketing professional can be the spine of all your social media platforms, taking yet another weight off your shoulders. A marketing manager could be the best investment you ever make. The range in which they operate, and the tasks they’re responsible for include everything that your audience sees, and that is the most important thing when talking about a start-up.

Even a well-seasoned company needs constant publicity in order to keep up their image, and for a start-up, it’s the most important thing for staying afloat and introducing yourself. Being a significant figure in the eyes of the public (even if it’s just a tiny demographic) is the most important thing, as companies stay alive thanks to their audience and customers. That first introduction, and the very first campaign strategies can make a huge difference, and for that, people need a marketing manager.

But what makes a good marketing manager? To really get your money’s worth, you’ll need someone with experience, and someone with excellent oral and written communication skills. Furthermore, a good marketing specialist is someone who thinks outside the box, is interested in your area of work, and knows the economy and society you work in. The number one job of a marketing manager is speaking to your audience. So they must know who you are, and they have to know how to speak with your audience. They should be worldly in a way that allows them to attract a bigger audience and know how to reach out to more than a few demographics.

Now, why do you absolutely need a person to do that if you could do it yourself? The reason for that is because you can’t do it yourself. Marketing eats up the entire workweek, every week. It’s loads of research, it’s coming up with strategies, it’s creating entire campaigns, sometimes going to interviews and events as the face of the company, and the head of the company can’t afford to lose all that time and focus on just one area.

The other reason is that a marketing professional knows tactics, strategies, and methods that you don’t. It’s not your job to know everything about every area. Simply put, without a marketing manager, or any type of marketing specialist, companies don’t have a leg to stand on regarding image and public presence.

There are some crucial people that make up a company. Starting with the CEO and COO, the accountant, the product manager, all the way to the marketing manager. Today marketing seems like an easy task. Everyone can handle a few posts on social media. But to save your time, energy, and make more money along the way by using effective methods and strategies, a marketing manager can set you apart and take the business to a whole new level.

June 3, 2021
Learn How To Save The Data From Your Business

Saving and storing data efficiently and safely should be one of the top priorities for all businesses. We have all seen the stories of major data breaches and losses which have cost businesses and their customers a huge amount of money as well as an awful lot of distress. There is so much data produced by modern businesses and a lot of it is extremely sensitive so it needs to be handled with the utmost care. In this digital age, there are many different data storage solutions for businesses to consider so that they can make the right decision about what is best for themselves and their customers.

To help you make the right choice and keep your business and customers safe, here are the top ways to save your business’s data.

1. Cloud Storage

Despite being a relatively new technology, cloud storage has already established itself as the number one way for businesses to save their data, files, and important records. With quality cloud storage, you essentially have unlimited storage space because some offer up to an exabyte of storage (that’s a million trillion bytes!). Cloud storage will enable you to store all of your business’s data in one single place so that it is easily accessible to anyone you give permission to. This means that many people can collaborate on one file at the same time if they have been given access. This is ideal because it means you don’t need to send anything via email or another risky method.

Cloud storage also has the highest levels of cybersecurity which is very important because hackers and cybercriminals are becoming ever more sophisticated. A major data breach or hack can cause serious damage to your business. If sensitive files or data are stolen then it could be used to sabotage or blackmail your business or your customers. If this happens, you could end up with enormous financial costs and a significant hit to your business’s reputation. There are various cloud options available which offer different features. You can learn about the Dynamics 365 Business Central Implementation to get a better idea of the benefits of one cloud service. The first important thing is to check that the storage capacity is large enough for your business and that there is up-to-date cybersecurity.

2. External Solid State Drives

Solid-state drives (SSDs) are the next generation of traditional computer hard drives which have been designed to ultimately replace standard hard disk drives (HDDs). SDDs and HDDs work in a very similar way but SSDs have some significant advantages. First of all, they will enable your business’s computers to load up faster and to run quicker even if they are storing a lot of data. You may have previously been put off buying SSDs for your business due to the higher price when compared to a standard HDD. This should no longer be a factor, however, because the prices have come down significantly in recent years. You will now be able to purchase a 2 terabyte SSD for around $250-$300.

3. External Hard Disk Drives

As explained above, hard disk drives were usually the best option before SSDs and they can still provide excellent storage for your business. All your business’s computers will already have their own built-in HDDs of different storage capacities, but when this is no longer enough for your business, you can purchase external HDDs to provide additional storage. External HDDs and SDDs both plug directly into your computers’ USB drives so that your employees will be able to get access to all your files and data no matter what computer they are doing.

4. USB Thumb Drives

USB thumb drives are just like mini SDDs or HDDs but they generally only have a few gigabytes of storage capacity. This means that thumb drives are not usually big enough for storing all of your business data, unless you have a very small business, but they are excellent for transporting and storing a decent amount of files. Most business owners and employees these days will have at least one thumb drive so that it is easy to take files home to work on or to use for presentations to customers or partners outside of the office. Thumb drives are small, light, and can be carried easily in a pocket, purse, or even on a keychain. Make sure that you always put a password on your thumb drives so that if it is lost or stolen nobody will be able to access your files.

5. Protect Your Company’s Data From Multiple Angles

Incorporating additional security features to protect your corporate data is essential these days, especially in the wake of high-profile cyber attacks and breaches. One of the most common mistakes companies make is to simply rely on passwords as their primary means of protecting their data. This approach is inherently flawed because accounts can be easily compromised if one password is guessed or cracked. Adding additional security features such as mfa on premise, virtual private network, monitoring and other solutions will significantly reduce the risk of a breach, while also increasing the overall level of protection and the overall user experience.

6. Save Your Data Directly on Your Business Computers

One really simple storage plan is to just save all of the data on your business’s computers’ internal hard drives. This is a very convenient form of storage and will make all of the files accessible to everyone in your office. One major disadvantage of saving the data on your computers is that it could be potentially vulnerable to cyber attacks or viruses. Make sure that you always have up-to-date cybersecurity and virus protection and try not to store anything very sensitive. Always have a secure wifi network in your offices so that nobody passing by can connect to the network and access your computers.

7. Use SD Cards

In addition to USB ports, your business computers may also have SD slots. If this is the case, you can store and transport your data and files on micro SD cards rather than USB thumb drives. One big benefit of an SD card is that you can use them in other devices such as digital cameras, smartphones and other gadgets. One downside of SD cards is that they are more expensive than USB thumb drives so you may want to take that into consideration.

Deciding on the best way to store your business’s data should always take careful consideration. You need to think about security, accessibility, and the capacity of the different storage options. Remember that you are not only in possession of your company’s data, but often your customers’ data as well. Consider these storage options and you will be able to make the right data storage plan.

June 3, 2021
Why Web Marketing Is Important For Real Estate Investing

When it comes to business, especially in the current times which are turbulent at best, it’s important that we look for markets that are stable or have potential to grow over time. The real estate market has always been the one that has profited from an abundance of wealth or the number of people who own wealth. There have been phases where the market dipped low and then recovered again. These phases, however, are a part of any business, and right now, the trend is moving upward. The world is growing faster and more people are growing along with it, this brings in a lot of money to be spent on real estate as well.

The millennials are moving out of their homes and the search for new homes is at an all-time high. A house needs to become a home, and it is also a status symbol, which is why so many people are looking to expand. The effect of the internet has made access to real estate easier, and exploiting it to your advantage could yield huge profits. If this opportunity isn’t utilized the right way, then it could be a huge mistake.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at how you can utilize digital marketing strategies to boost your real estate business. We’ll discover how and why you should utilize it in order to earn more profits.

1. More Visibility on Search Engines

The most common source of information for people today is the internet. A web marketing strategy will help you boost your visibility on search engines by implementing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques. When you use SEO for your product, it automatically ranks higher than all the other relevant searches. This higher ranking, preferably on the first page, means that you’ll be able to gather more attention and more people will end up clicking on your website. The more people who engage with your services, the higher are your chances of making a sale. This is one of the primary reasons you should consider web marketing to boost your real estate business.

2. More Trust

Any consumer who browses the web is continuously looking out for one thing in particular, which is trust. Everyone wants reviews from a trustworthy source, to be able to get good ratings, and definitely desire to find a business to deal with that they can rely on as well. There are reliable sources online that can teach you more about how to gain your customer’s trust. You’ll find that according to this guide, once you’ve established a prevalent presence online with a lot of traffic and good reviews, people will feel like they can trust you more. Almost anyone interested in real estate investment will go online and look up your company. This is because having an online presence signals that you’re a legitimate business. If you could incorporate customer reviews, testimonials from previous satisfied customers, and if possible, video interviews of your previous clients, then anyone visiting your website or YouTube channel will automatically associate your brand with trust in their minds. This is one of the most important tactics that you can utilize to convert customers who would otherwise have been doubtful at first.

3. Get More Clients

The end goal of any form of marketing is to get more clients for your business- and real estate is no different. Marketing, when done right, will ensure that you can easily reach the target demographic who are more likely to be converted into your clients. It’s not necessary that you restrict yourself to your local area; with the help of web marketing you can even reach the people who live in faraway areas of the country, but might be thinking about moving to your area of operation. It’s also very difficult to cover your entire locality, so it’s smart to focus on a certain neighborhood or area so you can focus on the demographic that falls under certain specs and requirements. This is why the web marketing process is so much better than that which is done offline, as you have to spend less and leave the hard work to digital marketing professionals who will handle the job for you.

4. Brand Image

A brand image is something that huge corporations spend millions on every year. The brand image is an intangible asset that serves you in the long term by making you more identifiable, accessible, and trustworthy. A website does exactly this for you but in the online sphere. The website will contain your motto, your company’s vision, your success stories, your color scheme, and every other aspect that makes up a brand. Websites have become very cheap in today’s highly advanced age, and almost everyone is utilizing them to their advantage. If you miss out on this part which doesn’t cost a lot, then you’re giving your competitors a head start- which is never a good thing in business.

These were some of the most important reasons why you should indulge in web marketing if you’re into the real estate investing business. The market is growing rapidly and so are the technologies to exploit it. If you don’t capitalize on these opportunities right now then it might be too late in the future after your competitors are done doing that. After going through this article, you must’ve realized the importance of web marketing for your business and grasped its importance for your business; right now is the opportune time to use digital marketing to grow your business. If you decide to opt for web marketing then you’ll not just be marketing your business to potential clients who are already interested, but you might also be able to convert more cold clients who didn’t think about real estate until they saw your offers. So try to exploit these benefits of the web marketing strategies as soon as you can if you want to make profits or else, it might be too late a few years down the line when the competition will already be far ahead of you.

June 3, 2021
Investing In The Fix And Flipping Real Estate Market 2021
Looking for a new business venture that you can turn into a lucrative business is something that many people want to achieve, with real estate being a big business if done correctly, this is the avenue many people go down when wanting to make a quick profit. The truth is that the market is booming with others trying to achieve the same. So what is going to make your fix and flipping more successful than the next person?

With the investors market being a very competitive place at the moment, you need to do plenty of research to get your business up and off the ground. Investing in real estate is an expensive business, and although you can earn a good profit from doing so, it is not something to be rushed, when considering doing so.

If you are starting and undertaking your first project, how you may purchase your property can make or break your goals, even from the get-go! Not having the purchase price in savings may guide you into looking at mortgages or hard money lenders such as https://dfw-hardmoney.com. Doing one of these will guarantee that you have the full amount of money you may seek when investing.

Making your money work

It may seem like an easy thing to do when you want to make your money work, but this is something that many people do not look into properly when trying to run their own business. To make your money work correctly it will take planning and research, from the beginning to the end. Not being tempted to waste money, the investment money you have is not for other things, keeping the business account separate from personal funds is essential in being able to take your business to the next level.

There are many considerations to take on board as with any self-employed business and this will all start before you buy your first investment. Looking at what you will need to borrow to get started if you do not have enough equity, making sure the interest rates are affordable on the loan you have secured are all things that need to be priced in with your purchase.

Not pricing in interest rates, insurances, taxes with the renovation costs will not give you a true prediction of the profit margin you are likely to gain. This along with the time you spend fixing the real estate will all eat into the profit, so what you may be left with, is only the success of the sale with no profit! Therefore equalling a bad business decision. If your choices are not done objectively by thinking with your business mind, then it could mean you end up in debt, which is obviously, not what you want.

Researching your market

Market research is always a good thing to do when starting a business, and with such a huge investment it should be a prime concern. The market you will be researching should be everything you will need to make your venture successful. Here are a few tips to start your research
- Look at your competitors
- What are they making a success from doing?
- Real estate in the area you want to purchase
- What are the readily available properties selling for?
- What are the run down properties selling for?
- Loans, interest rates, final payback costs, and tax?
- Works you can complete?
- Works you can not complete?
- Insurances
- Time spent working
- Databases
- Online bloggers
These are just a few, do not underestimate how much research needs to be done. This is the difference between those that know what they are doing to make a success and those that do not have a clue that ends up with them sinking underneath the pressure.

The beautiful thing is that with today’s technology, you can spend whatever spare time you have by investigating what you need to know and store it as you are on the move or from home. Creating folders to place your newfound knowledge will keep you organized, separating any legal matters or laws you need to be aware of, will make it easy for you to have access to in a prompt way.

Making use of social media

Although some people can find social media annoying, it does have some very good uses. By having access to these you can find out all sorts of information quickly from other people.

Word of mouth is put to good use when it comes to advertising, sales, foreclosures, loans, tax breaks, or new laws, if someone hears something they want to know the answer to they will ask online.

Look at blogs that real estate investors write, they will share tips, experiences, and even disasters that happen and how to fix them. They may share information about the latest sales for tiles, paint, or kitchen units. Looking into people that have made a profession out of this business, should positively encourage you. By sharing some of the negative things that may have happened, they will help and advise you into not making the same mistake.

Look at financial advice that is being given by professionals, they will advise about bank rates, business rates, taxes. Helping with profit margin predictions, getting as much free information is never going to be a waste of time, especially if you’re accessing it in the spare 10 mins you have to wait for a cab.

Reasons not to rush a new business

As the old saying goes “Rome was not built in a day” the same should be said for your new business. Making it a success will not happen overnight, that is not to say if it is done in the right way it can not be a good profitable success quickly. The first purchase you make in real estate when trying to become an investor is going to be one of the most important decisions you can make.

So taking your time in finding the correct property will be the deciding factor in whether or not you can turn over a profit. It is only when you turn over that all important profit you can start to call yourself an upcoming business, company, or investor. The sole reason you are doing this is to be able to earn a good salary and have the benefits of being your own boss.

The benefits of becoming your own boss will eventually work out for the better, choosing your own hours, having holidays when you want and of course making use of your hard earned money. This will all take time and patience but with hard work determination this can all pay off not just financially, eventually, your goal may be to retire quickly or spend more time with your family, being successful will help you in being able to get your goal.

Conclusion

Making use of all available tools is one of the best ways in making a new business a successful one. Taking time is equally as important as the money you will invest, together with the correct research and investment there is no reason why your business can not be a truly great one that all the family will reap rewards from in the long run.

Use other people’s experiences and mistakes to grow your knowledge into a great book of information, being able to learn from other people’s mistakes can stop you from making the same ones, or at least help in rectifying them for the least amount of money.

By not rushing the first purchase of any business you will have some important time to think about; what you are doing? what you want to achieve? and the goals you have set for yourself?
June 2, 2021
Stripe and MemberPress: Integrating Payments with Apple Pay and Google Pay

Apple Pay and Google Pay are two of the most popular mobile payment providers. It’s not a surprise that so many people want to use these apps because they’re convenient, secure, and easy to use. Adding Apple Pay or Google Pay as an option on your website can be a good idea if you’re looking for more ways to make payments easier for your customers.

With Stripe and MemberPress, it’s easy to integrate either app into your checkout process with just a few clicks (and boost your sales opportunity).

What is MemberPress?

MemberPress is a premium WordPress membership plugin that helps you build an online community and sell digital products. This is a popular plugin that is used by thousands of entrepreneurs and businesses around the world, especially when it comes to building community and a membership site using WordPress.

What is Stripe?

Stripe provides software for running your entire business, from accepting customer payments to managing inventory in the back office. They’re best known for their innovative payment processing, which quickly and securely takes card payments with no PCI compliance required from you.

The integration of Stripe into MemberPress lets your customers pay using a credit or debit card through the website (like they would on any other e-commerce site). A single click will take them to your login page so that they can enter their credentials and make a purchase without ever leaving the MemberPress dashboard!

Advantages integrating Google Pay and Apple Pay into Stripe and MemberPress

Mobile Friendly

The biggest challenge faced by online marketers is low mobile conversion rates. According to Truelist, the average cart abandonment rate on mobile phones is 85.65 %. This could be because of a variety of factors such as accessibility, screen size, or customer caution.

Apple Pay and Google Pay make it easier to buy things on your phone. They show you a clear page with the payment information for how much money to put in.

Members with an Apple or Google Pay account can now easily purchase a product from their seat without leaving!

Quicker Checkouts

We’ve talked about the advanced security features of both Apple Pay and Google Pay. Security is even tighter because these digital wallets are supported through Stripe’s secure servers, so your members’ sensitive financial information is safe from those trying to steal it.

Stripe is the most stringent level of certification in the payment industry. All transactions through Stripe are SSL/TLS protected, and credit card numbers are stored safely in an encrypted format.

Stripe Checkout is the trusted choice for companies like Amazon, Pinterest, Slack and Zoom — and that’s the exact reasons why you using Google Pay and Apple Pay is an excellent move to grow your membership business.

Growing your membership site with Apple Pay and Google Pay

There are two great reasons why adding Apple Pay and Google Pay to your membership site is a smart move for any business: security and convenience. Stripe has created the most stringent level of certification in the payment industry, meaning that all transactions through Stripe are SSL/TLS protected, credit card numbers stored safely in an encrypted format. That way you can rest easy knowing not only that your members’ sensitive financial information is safe from those trying to steal it but also confident that you have taken every precaution necessary against unauthorized access by cybercriminals.

Not yet using MemberPress? Click here to get started right now!

*P.S. MemberPress is by far the best WordPress membership plugin for WordPress

June 1, 2021
How To Improve Your Skills As An SQL Server Specialist?

If you work with SQL Server then your role will invariably require you to fall back on a plethora of different skills in order to fulfill your responsibilities effectively.

Of course with such a variety of requirements on the table, knowing which areas to focus your attention on, and how to make improvements, is not always easy.

To help you out, here are a few ways you can build upon your existing abilities and foster new strengths as you progress your career in SQL Server administration.

Pay attention to server performance for troubleshooting & optimization insights

Hiccups in SQL Server performance can leave many database admins scratching their heads, and yet your troubleshooting tasks will become much more manageable if you are attuned to the advantages of persistent monitoring.

Tracking everything from storage usage and CPU load to TempDB status and the deployment of SQL integration services will give you a clearer idea of the moment to moment health of a server instance, as well as providing clues and evidence of issues that need addressing before they have had the opportunity to spiral out of control.

Embrace interdepartmental communication & listen to feedback

If your main job involves keeping SQL Server infrastructure up and running, then it is easy to be blinded to what is going on in the rest of the organization, when in fact you could actually benefit significantly from communicating with colleagues in other departments and being receptive to the input they provide.

Communication skills are worth working on if you are a database administrator, not only because it will provide you with the means to make meaningful improvements that are appreciated elsewhere in a company, but also because it can turn what is potentially a very solitary job into one that involves much-needed human interactions. And of course if you are improving your communication skills, these are entirely transferable to other roles further down the line, in a way that SQL-specific experience is not.

Use project management tools to your advantage

Having a structure or framework to use as the underpinning of your daily workload is sensible in many professional contexts, and is definitely something from which an SQL Server specialist can benefit.

In this case you do not need to rely on improving your timekeeping and deadline-hitting skills through sheer willpower alone, but can instead make ameliorations with the help of a wide range of tools designed to help you manage projects and track progress over time.

Using the best platforms for project management is also beneficial in other areas, allowing you to collaborate and communicate with other colleagues who may be involved in whatever you are working on.

Learn from the mistakes of others

When a database admin makes a mistake, the ramifications can be immediate and significant, so even if you might be able to learn valuable lessons from your foibles, it is better to find out about potential pitfalls by speaking with those who have already fallen into them.

Connecting with DBAs who have more experience than you, and can provide informative and instructive details about the snafus they have encountered in the past and how to overcome them, will keep you in the loop on common conundrums in the safest possible way.

Wrapping up

Clearly your own skills and experience will need to feed into any decisions you make about improving your abilities as an SQL Server professional, but the most important facet for individuals regardless of their abilities is to see this specialism as an ongoing journey of knowledge acquisition, rather than something with a fixed endpoint.

May 31, 2021