Category: Business

How to Safely Practice Social Distance in an Office?

This year has been anything but ordinary and we are all experiencing the limitations it is posing to our lives. With the pandemic still ongoing, it is becoming clear that the return to offices will be anything but normal for those who do end up heading back into work.

Even though it won’t be the same, there are some ways that you can help cope with it by helping keep yourself and others safe when you do find yourself walking through those once familiar doors again – social distancing.

Those two words have dominated the news headlines more than any combination of words in recent memory so you are going to be hearing it a lot when you head back to work. Finding ways to make sure that the office is safe means making sure that social distancing is in full-effect so people can still get their job done, but not at the risk of infecting anyone else. Here are some ways that social distancing can be properly done in the office.

1. Partitions and Dividers

The safest way to prevent any spread of disease or bacteria in the workplace is by setting up partitions or dividers. Clear plastic dividers can help workers see and interact with one another even with an obstacle in the way. Using office dividers helps prevent particles from spit or sneezing get anywhere, and when combined with masks, makes the office much safer and gives everyone better peace of mind. These dividers can be set up at desks, between rows, and just about anywhere that needs to be protected because of high traffic use.

2. Footpath Arrows

Another simple solution is to make designated walkways with footpath arrows to indicated directions. You have undoubtedly seen this at the grocery store while shopping and all it does is help people know that they must follow the specific path so they can avoid coming into contact with too many people. These arrows will help direct people and reduce the number of high traffic areas to keep the workplace safe. The best part is that the arrows are extremely cheap so they can be added to any office quite easily. It also helps to create a map to help workers know which paths go where.

3. Cubicles Instead of Open Plan

Open plan office designs are more than likely a thing of the past for the time being. They looked modern, cool, and sleek but they simply don’t work how they should during a time like this which makes it all the more important to create a workplace that is safe. Just like dividers or partitions, cubicles provide a good sense of security from any spreading of bacteria or contact. The walls can be high to prevent this as well. Cubicles might not be as new and cool or modern as an open plan design, but in this case, it works a lot better.

4. Space Out Desks

Even if you can’t afford to use cubicles, it can be valuable to space out desks anyway. This lies in the ability to use the space accordingly, so it only works if you don’t have too many employees returning and there is plenty of floor space to spread desks out. Not only does this let people talk to and see each other, but it is also useful for them in the sense that it creates natural laneways of separation that can help workers avoid coming into close proximity as often as possible.

5. Reducing Capacity Limits

Wherever there are problems with too many people crowding around in certain areas, you need to find ways to reduce them. High capacity areas in an office are usually entrances, elevators, stairwells, and kitchen/common areas. If you can effectively manage how many people are going in and out of these spaces, you can reduce the potential spread of bacteria greatly. The use of partitions and footpath arrows is a good start, but you also need to have a schedule for when people can grab their stuff from the kitchen. This can be difficult, but it might be best to tell people to bring food from home and store anything that can be stored out of a fridge near their personal space so they aren’t moving around too much within the office.

6. Return Essential Staff

Back to the subject of returning to work, it should be advised that only essential staff comes back first. You never know how much can spread from whom so if people really need to come back into the office for various operations, it should be people who are needed in the office. Managers, bosses, etc. along with the usual cleaning staff are who should return first to keep the space as low populated as possible. Another good idea is to make sure that when others do start returning, that there is a flexible schedule with on-off weeks or days to help the office remain sparsely populated so that the social distancing protocols are still in effect.

7. Cleaning Stations

The last one is less about social distancing and more of a way to make sure that everyone has the right supplies to keep themselves and their coworkers safe. A cleaning station is important and it should have enough hand sanitizer, hand soap, disinfectant wipes, extra gloves, and even extra masks just in case. It should be advised that people use their own sanitizing products that they brought from home to make sure that germs aren’t spreading from surface to surface, but it can help out to have some around the office just in case anyone needs them.

The words social distancing didn’t mean much just one year ago, but it seems to be all we have talked about in 2020, among a few other things. There is no doubt that social distancing is important for keeping bacteria from spreading so it is important. Using these techniques, any office can be a safe place for work to resume and prevent anyone from getting sick.

December 21, 2020
Six Online Marketing Secrets That Work

Are you struggling to get the most out of online marketing efforts? Do some of your tactics feel like they’ve run their course? And finally, are you ready to make 2021 a game-changer year for your business? If you answered yes to those questions, there’s good news. You are obviously at a decision point in the life of your company. Maybe things have been good up to now, but diminishing returns have begun to set in. Change tactics as the new year approaches and attempt to pump fresh blood into your company’s veins. Here are six tactics that, together or separately, can rev up profits, attitudes, and the customer base. They’re easy to remember, too, because each one is known by a single word.

Variety

Variety is listed first for a reason. It’s more of a general philosophy than anything else, but it’s possible to apply it directly to your firm’s online marketing and sales campaigns. For instance, if your go-to technique for the past five years has been pay per click ads, consider adding at least two new methods to the mix. Don’t get rid of PPC; enhance it with strategies like intent SEO, banner ads, video, and more.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO is the centerpiece of many a content campaign because it’s effective. Fine tune your SEO tactics by taking user intention into account. For example, instead of a typical SEO keyword that is the name of your product (like “custom-made knife sheaths”), put yourself into the mind of a potential buyer and try, “buy custom-made knife sheaths,” or “research custom-made knife sheaths.” You can schedule your consultation today to help implement intent SEO to a higher, more refined level. For business owners who want to outrank their competitors and boost revenue without spending a dollar more, using SEO strategies based on user intent is the way to go.

Optimization

If you’re not optimizing your website for mobile devices, get busy. The online marketplace is changing rapidly, and that means more transactions are taking place on the go, from buyers’ phones, laptops, watches, tablets, and vehicle-based devices. There’s no reason to leave money on the table, but that’s what happens when a potential customer runs into a snag with your main site, shopping cart, or payment portal that’s not optimized for mobile.

Video

Digital marketing gurus love to point out that content is king, but for the 2020’s, video content is the king of kings. If you want to see for yourself, do a test run of a single video advertisement. Most entrepreneurs are shocked at the response they get, having wallowed in content-only strategies for years. Up front, creating video pieces costs a bit more, but the return on investment far outpaces written content in almost every case. But if you decide to produce visual marketing pieces, don’t skimp and try to make them yourself. Hire an expert freelancer or company that specialized in making slick, short, high-quality marketing clips. Check references and view portfolios before choosing who to work with. There’s nothing more powerful than a top-notch video ad. And there’s nothing worse than a poorly made one.

Research

The very word, research sounds dull and old-fashioned. It’s anything but. In the era of online selling, it refers to what government folks call counter-intelligence. That’s a nice way of saying subscribe to your competitors’ sales pages, giveaway programs, and e-newsletters. Modern-day research is about studying your business rivals, legally of course, in order to anticipate their moves and learn from their missteps.

Data

Real estate pros love to remind people about the importance of location, location, location. For online sellers, that advice could be changed to data, data, data. No matter what channels you use, there are tons of data available about what works, what doesn’t, what customers want, where buyers come from, and more. Spend at least an hour or two each week digging into the information at hand. The more you know about your prospective clients and their desires, the more successful you’ll be.

December 21, 2020
How to Minimize the Risk of Being Involved in a Cybercrime?

The internet provides a lot of opportunities for business operators who offer online services. However, the downside of operating your business online is that it will be vulnerable to an array of cybercrimes that can impact you, your employees, and your business. Cyber attacks are widespread, and it seems the trend is increasing. The most effective option available at the moment is to try to reduce the chances of being a victim or part of the cybercrime racket. Read on to learn how to minimize the risk of being involved in cybercrime.

Backup Your Data

The chances of losing your valuable data after a cyberattack are very high, and this can lead to devastating consequences. To avoid such a scenario, it is essential to backup your data so that you can retrieve it if your system is compromised. You can use external media like memory sticks, compact discs, or external hard drives to store vital information about your business. However, cloud services are more secure for backing up your data since the servers are located away from your business premises and in a safe environment. The other advantage of backing your data in the cloud is that the method is very convenient. You can access your information from anywhere as long as you have access to the internet. This gives you the flexibility to work from anywhere too.

Protect Your Business

Several businesses suffer cyber-attacks ranging from phishing, payment scams, malware, and ransomware which can all result in small companies losing a lot of money. Cybercriminals target businesses that are not fully protected, and you can be a victim anytime. To prevent cybercrime, it is essential to protect your business. You need to consult cyber security services to get insight into the necessary measures that you need to take to reduce the risk of financial losses, find out how to protect your brand, and prevent disruption to your business. You should also ensure that you install the latest antivirus software on your mobile devices and systems that are constantly in use. Cybercriminals target flaws in your software to access your system. Therefore, patching those gaps will help prevent you from becoming an easy target.

Do Not Open Suspicious Promotional Messages

It is essential to activate the spam alert feature that helps to screen the emails that come through your inbox. It is not surprising that every day you receive several emails from unknown addresses, and the senders are usually offering lucrative deals that are just too good to believe. Some of the offers may be so tempting that you may feel like giving it a go, but that is the worst thing you can ever do. For instance, you may receive an email notifying you that you have won the lottery, and you should provide your banking details to facilitate payment processing.

The moment you supply your details to the unknown sender of the email, you will have compromised your cybersecurity. This is just one of the smart techniques used by scammers to steal your information, which they can then use to commit various cybercrimes. When the scammer gets your private information, they can use it to defraud other people or access quick loans which will negatively affect your financial status. Therefore, you must avoid opening suspicious emails at all costs. Just delete them without bothering yourself about the contents if you want to enjoy peace of mind and guaranteed security against cybercrime. You should also ensure that you do not open links on emails that you have not been expecting.

Secure Your Accounts With Strong Passwords

You should ensure that you secure all your accounts with strong passwords and update them regularly to avoid phishing and scamming threats. The other important thing to do is avoid sharing your password even with someone you trust. When you are using public networks like in internet cafes, it is advisable not to perform critical transactions such as online banking. Once the details of your business leak, you become vulnerable to ransomware attacks.

Identity theft happens everywhere, so the onus is on you to ensure that your valuable information is safe. The cybercriminals can block entire systems within your business and solicit a ransom for them before you regain access to your critical data. Many people are losing their hard-earned money through ransomware, so avoid being a victim by protecting your business accounts.

Respect Copyright Laws

Cybercrime does not necessarily mean that you are always the victim. You need to be vigilant and try to avoid committing acts of cybercrime intentionally or unintentionally. For instance, plagiarism is a common and punishable offense, but some people commit this crime unknowingly. The internet is awash with information that you may want, but it is crucial to acknowledge the source if you are using other people’s ideas. Copyright laws help to protect intellectual property (IP) as a way of safeguarding other individuals’ work. You should avoid using other people’s ideas as yours since this is a crime.

The same applies to trademarks that help to protect other businesses’ brands. Some unscrupulous business operators flood the market with copycat products that ultimately affect the performance of the original brand on the market. When you are operating a business, you should make sure that you have a unique brand name to avoid violating the interests of other brands.

Know-How to Report Cybercrime

If you become the latest victim of cybercrime, you need to report the case immediately to your local police or the Federal Trade Commission. You may also want to enable a credit freeze or fraud alert so that your account is not tampered with. The creditors will contact you so you can create new passwords and PINs for your compromised account.

Reported cases of cybercrimes in different media are very common, and they are constantly increasing. Cybercrime involves various activities like hacking, scams, phishing, ransomware, and identity theft among others. Cybercriminals usually target small businesses because they know that they lack adequate protection. There are several measures that you can take to minimize the risk of being involved in cybercrime. More importantly, you need to ensure that your business has sufficient protection to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing it. Follow our simple tips, and your small business will be much more secure.

December 20, 2020
How to Maximize the Benefits of Points-Earning Cards?

The idea of earning rewards for spending money would have been a crazy thought just a few short decades ago, but now it seems like nearly every single kind of credit card has some kind of benefit, points, or reward system for your spending habits. This allows you to rack up some bonuses when you are already spending money.

You can earn points or rewards in many different ways. It could be for air travel or redeemable for a cash-value system. Whatever it is, there are a lot of cool things that your credit card can do for you. The idea of letting your card work for you is not new, but it, letting people enjoy some rewards for their use.

If you have a points-earning card or are looking for one and need some help figuring out how to best maximize the benefits, check out these tips to help you out.

Find Cards With Useful Points to Earn

Not all points or rewards that these cards offer are going to be good. Some are great for everyday uses like groceries, but you want something that isn’t just a singular use. That is why an ultimate rewards credit card is so popular because it offers more points, therefore, offers more value. Not only that, but it could have a great ratio of points per dollar spent, with most cards being 1 point = $1.

Nearly every credit card company or bank offers a points-reward type card. You can get air miles, grocery rebates, gas rebates, general multi-use points, and in 2021 you can even get a Bitcoin reward card that works like a cashback card. There are a lot of options out there, so it can be tricky to pick the right one, but you want to make sure that the points you are earning are actually going to help you.

Use Them For Big Purchases

A good idea for getting the most out of your points-earning card is to use it for those big purchases. You probably already use your credit card for big purchases, like electronics, bills, etc. but you can really help yourself earn more points if you are doing that with a reward card. If every $1 spent = 1 point, then a big purchase of $1000 would equal 1000 points and help you get closer to, say, a dream vacation. Remember that these points aren’t free, and credit still needs to be paid back, so don’t go overboard making purchases you can’t afford just to earn some cool rewards.

Use Them Often

Some people rarely use their credit cards because they don’t want to rack up debt. This is a good solution for being safe with your money, but doing that also limits how many points you can earn with your card. If you use your bank/debit card to purchase everyday items, think about switching over to your credit card to start taking advantage of the total amount of points you can possibly earn. Groceries are a weekly purchase, and usually so is gas, so these can help account for a lot of points each week without you even realizing it. Another good idea is to make sure your bills (utilities, rent, cellphone, car insurance, etc.) are going through this card to get points without you having to even use the card, so to speak.

Know What Purchases Give You Rewards

It is also important to point out that not every purchase you make is going to help you earn those coveted points. There are a lot of retailers that will not be recognized by your credit card as a source of rewards for the card. The necessities like gas or groceries will definitely be one (although not all stores will help), but more niche items probably won’t be. Check the fine print of the rewards points agreement to see what they say and what counts towards rewards. You don’t want to be going out spending money on a lot of things only to find out that you don’t get anything for it.

Keep the Balance Low and Pay It Off Quickly

Always being late with your payments on your balance or carrying a balance will be bad news for your points earning potential. Not only will it increase your interest rate, which makes it even harder to spend money, but it will also pretty much erase any progress you made on accumulating those points. Be careful with your credit cards and ensure that you are either carrying a low balance, or you are making payments promptly.

Have Multiple Cards

Utilizing multiple cards and rewards is not only smart, but it’s also encouraged. It might seem like contradictory information to have multiple cards but for people who are responsible with their credit, this can help their score. In this case, you can take advantage of multiple offers from multiple different credit card companies to get a significant amount of points-earning potential. If one card intrigued you for its points earned for air miles, the other one might be able to get you better points rewards for everyday purchases like groceries or gas. Having a few cards is good, just remember that the same principles of owning a credit card apply, and then some, when you have multiple credit cards.

Take Advantage of Welcome Bonuses

There’s no love lost when you switch to a new rewards card. Big credit card companies won’t feel an emotional attachment, and neither should you. You can find some pretty incredible welcome bonuses for new points-earning cards from other companies. Instead of spending years with the same card trying to earn 20 000 points, switch to a new card that offers you 25 000 to sign up, which usually means spending a certain amount within the first few months. This saves you time and money on purchases.

Earning points from your credit card purchases can be a great way to earn some valuable rewards. People have ended up paying for entire trips just through the points they accumulated over the years. With these tips, you can maximize your points-earnings and possibly end up being one of those people too.

December 20, 2020
How to Start Your Online Business in the Internet Jungle of 2020?

Starting and running a successful online business is not easy; it involves many details and considerations. You need to choose a product that is in demand, grow your online presence, and drive traffic to your site, among many other factors. Read on to learn how to start your online business in the internet jungle of 2020.

Generate a Viable Business Idea

Come up with a few different online business ideas, and choose the most feasible one based on your niche and target audience. There are various business ideas that you can consider, and online drop shipping can be a good one since it does not involve a large inventory. You do not have to manufacture or store any products when you choose this type of business. Instead, you will be selling different products manufactured by other companies, and your role will be only to market these products and attract customers online.

Before you start selling online, you must find the right niche that you will focus on. You need to conduct market research to evaluate the viability of the market you are considering. Think about different things that can impact your new business by evaluating the trending products in the market. Additionally, you must also conduct a competitive analysis to help in branding and positioning your business.

Optimize Your Sales Funnel Strategy

The sales funnel strategy involves different steps that affect customer behavior. Analyzing your sales funnel is crucial, as it helps you identify the weak points that may exist in each stage where some prospects will lose interest and never become paying customers. The digital marketing funnel consists of different stages that start from creating an opportunity, connecting with potential customers, converting them into paying clients, and ultimately, closing the sale.

Visitors land on your website through your search engine optimization strategy (SEO) that determines your site’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERP). The method uses unique searchable keywords that drive organic traffic to your site, marking the beginning of the sales funnel journey. The marketing consultants at https://marketing-leap.com/one-funnel-away-challenge-review/ explain that customers usually go through different stages before making their first purchase. You need to create brand awareness to catch the customers’ attention to know what your business offers. To spark the customers’ interest, you must then provide relevant content that will help them decide whether your products or services are right. At the decision or conversion stage, the customer will be ready to buy, so you need to be prepared to close the sale.

Choose the Right Ecommerce Platform

Without the right e-commerce platform, your online business may not realize its intended goals. You should choose a channel that uses powerful software that can help you generate quality leads and attract traffic to your site. When the site is up and running, you need to stay on top of all the important details, starting with your customer engagement rates to your customer support and follow-up care. By closely monitoring your site’s performance, you can implement the necessary measures to help your venture grow.

Create an Email Marketing Campaign

As you start building your customer base, you also need to bolster your business by using an email marketing campaign to generate quality leads by providing relevant and engaging content to your target clients. As little as one email per week can help you stay connected with your customers. If you want this strategy to be effective, you can personalize the emails and address the customers by their names. This helps create trust and promote loyalty between the customers and your business, as it makes them feel that they are valuable assets to your company.

It is important to continually provide valuable information that can help the customers solve different problems they may encounter. Make an offer at the end of the email that compels the leads to take action. Always keep in touch with your customers and thank them for investing in your products or services. Interacting with your customers through social media will also help you create a strong bond with them.

Measure Online Success

You must measure your online success using analytics that will help you evaluate various key performance indicators. As your business grows, your sales funnel might require some tweaks as you begin to learn more about your customers. You may also be interested in diversifying your products and services down the line, and you will need the right information to do so. That is why it is vital to track your conversion rates to measure the success of your sales funnel. You must pay attention to each stage of the funnel to pinpoint the areas where certain changes are required.

Understand Business Laws

Before you launch your product, you must be aware of the online business laws to avoid common pitfalls that can impact your new business. Start by reading up on laws regulating shipping, zoning, and trademark considerations to get insight into how your chosen market operates. You also need to analyze the market further to understand your real shoppers’ needs and interests. Only when you fully understand your prospective customers will you be ready to start operating.

Scale Your Business

When your business reaches a stage where it’s performing steadily and strongly, you can gradually scale it to reach a wider audience. If you want to grow your business successfully, you must ensure that you regularly conduct market research to understand your customers’ ever-changing needs. It is always a great idea to learn from the industry’s top experts. Get first-hand information on how to make it in the e-commerce world by consulting other successful entrepreneurs who managed to grow their small businesses and become successful.

Starting an online business can be quite challenging. First off, you need to come up with a viable market idea and identify your niche to start building your venture. You must also design a quality website for your business and provide unique and engaging content to generate quality leads and help your target audience find what they will be looking for. When you close a sale, try to retain the customer so that they can make repeat purchases.

December 19, 2020