Reginald Chan

Blog

  • How Web Design Can Easily Improve Your Small Business

    How Web Design Can Easily Improve Your Small Business

    Being the owner and proprietor of your very own business is a good way to kick the typical 9-5 and become the controller of your own destiny. It definitely takes a lot of work, but when you figure it out, you start to understand why so many people choose to go the entrepreneurial route instead of working for a salary.

    The advantages of owning a small business are more apparent now that we have so much digital technology to help out. This includes web design, which allows for anyone to become a business owner from anywhere. In fact, there are plenty of ways web design can improve a small business, and here are some important ones.

    Help Create a Signature Brand

    Branding is one of the single most important aspects of owning any kind of business. Even social media influencers need to focus on what is known as a brand. Before it used to be about the products of a company, but now it’s about name recognition more than ever. Brand awareness is facilitated much easier through web design as a logo and a unique design can be crafted that is instantly recognizable. If you look at the folks from Kitching Ltd, you can see that web design is so important that people outsource this work. The need to create a recognizable image is crucial to building up a small business into an established icon or household name, and web design can facilitate it.

    Provide More Reliable Service

    The reason why so many people prefer to shop online or use a website is because of convenience. The act of getting in your car or getting on public transit, then heading down to a shop, then finding out the product you wanted isn’t there is all too frustrating for so many people. This problem persists in many ways, but the best part of good web design is that you can easily provide information to customers online about your product stock. Informing people in just a handful of clicks of their mouse makes it easier for them to place something on backorder and contact you much faster.

    Focus on Contemporary Marketing Tactics

    Advertising on billboards and on the radio is going the way of the dinosaur. The need to expand marketing tactics in the modern age is more important than ever, and when you consider how important branding is, you can understand why it’s so necessary to create a strong presence online. PPC (pay-per-click) ads, SEO (search engine optimization), SEM (search engine marketing), are all examples of ways that web design can incorporate marketing in a contemporary way without coming across as cheap. Peppering ads across a web page isn’t as common as it used to be and as the game evolves, web design is right there to help make digital marketing better for small business owners.

    Future of Commerce is Online

    As mentioned, the future of commerce is online because people don’t want to go down to a store and have to buy things in real interaction. People want to be able to order a new pair of shoes while lounging on their couch watching their favorite show. This is becoming a huge revelation as small and huge businesses alike realize they don’t even need to have a storefront or physical building to sell products because people do most of their shopping online. This helps a business focus on web design as their storefront, and saves them money instead of creating a real retail space.

    Create a Better Experience

    Finally, good web design should elicit positive emotions. You might not notice it, but when you go to your favorite site, you probably aren’t annoyed at how long it takes to load, or how hard it is to find the right drop-down menus or any kind of inconvenience. You see and understand where everything is and it just makes sense. This kind of experience is good because it brings people back for more, which is necessary for a small business to stay afloat. A good experience on a business website and greatly increase the chances of customers sticking around and eventually buying something.

    You might picture a small business not needing good web design, but the truth of the matter is that good web design is a necessity for a small business to thrive. This is the way the future of commerce is going, so it should be a priority to make sure that a website is functional but also attractive.

  • 8 Steps to Starting a Successful Business in the USA

    8 Steps to Starting a Successful Business in the USA

    Starting a business in the USA is a very exciting prospect! Yes, it will be hard work and you have to make sure you are committed and prepared for that, but equally, the possibilities for reward and growth are endless! You might be someone with an idea and you are not quite sure how to run with this idea. It can be difficult to where to begin, however, this post is going to explore 8 steps to starting a successful business in the USA. 

    Refine Your Idea

    While it can be tempting to take your basic idea and run with it, it is best to take the time to refine and nurture your idea into its best possible form. Your idea should be something you not only believe in but also something that you are passionate about, because if all goes well then you could be in it for the long run with the idea. At this stage, there are a few things that you should be researching and considering before moving forward. See below for some examples;

    • Does my idea already exist?
    • What are the pros and cons of my idea? 
    • What is the purpose of my idea?
    • What potential obstacles are there?
    • Can I solve any of these problems?
    • Is there room for development and growth in future?

    This may seem like a lot to think about, but it is necessary to do before moving forward with your idea. You don’t want to get halfway through the process and then realise that your idea has been done to death already. Patience is key at this point, so take the time to properly refine your idea. 

    Check Out Your Competitors

    Unless you have a very unique idea, it is likely that someone else is also running a similar business to you. Do not be disheartened by this idea, and instead use it to your advantage. You can learn a lot about customer needs, supply and demand through your competitors, and often if your idea already exists, then this is a good sign that is a good idea. Pay attention to what your competitors are providing and what they are not, in learning their weaknesses, you can use this to develop your businesses’ strengths. Additionally, you can see what practices they use for effective marketing, and take these ideas for your own. There really is a lot to be learnt by checking out your competitors, so take the time to research them thoroughly, as it can give you a strong head start when you begin with your own business. 

    Make Your Business Legal

    While not many people enjoy the paperwork and legalities that come with starting your own business, it has to be done! Registering your business is a big part of getting the ball rolling. In the USA there are four different types of business formations, including partnerships, corporations, sole proprietorship and limited liability company’s. Research the pros and cons of each business formation before settling. Additionally, it is important to note that these formations’ rules and regulations will vary from state to state, so make sure you are researching what is relevant to you.

    If all these words seem confusing and overwhelming, so you might want to consider getting an attorney to help make sure you get the best one for you and your business. A business formation such as a limited liability company protects you as a business owner as you are far less likely to be held accountable if something goes wrong.

    Funding

    The bottom line is that to start a new business you have to have some capital to get the ball rolling. So you have to know how much money you have, how much you need and where you are going to get it from. Will it be self-invested? Will you be looking for investors or partners etc? There is a lot to consider when it comes to money, as every penny counts. Plan your budget in excruciating detail as this way you will be fully in the know as to where the money goes and why it goes there. Paying close attention to your budget is useful because if something starts to go south and you see that you will need more money, you can buy yourself some more time to gain that extra funding before it is completely drained. 

    Create A Marketing Strategy

    Creating a marketing strategy is a very important step in starting a successful business. Depending on your chosen advertising format, you will want to tailor it to your chosen demographic. So, by starting up in the USA, you might want to consider using American voice actors so that these voices sound familiar, comforting and resonate with your potential customers. To go beyond America, if you want to conquer the global market you will need an accessible website as your stepping stone. Your marketing strategy needs to be well-planned, but also flexible and adaptable in case you come across any obstacles along the way. 

    Experiment 

    While planning is important, it is also important to experiment with your ideas and how you market them. This way you can see for yourself what works and what doesn’t. You might be surprised at some of the findings that can occur when you allow your business that little bit of extra flexibility. 

    Consider Going Into A Partnership

    Going into a partnership with someone local to where your business resides could give you and your business a powerful advantage. Partnering up with someone like this is likely to have a good understanding of the runnings of business and hopefully will have some useful connections for you to network with. 

    Develop A Road Map Next Steps

    Every good business needs to have the potential for growth and development. As time goes on, ideally, your consumer base will grow and so will their demands. While it may seem premature to develop a road map for the next steps in future, you should have a thorough idea as to where you want to go and what you want to achieve. So do not be afraid to think big!

  • How to Avoid Poorly Drafted Contracts When Starting Your Own Creative Business?

    How to Avoid Poorly Drafted Contracts When Starting Your Own Creative Business?

    Truth be told, creativity is the core of any entrepreneurial venture. As a matter of fact, it is through creativity that thousands if not millions of businesses have been established. However, it is also one of the entrepreneurial aspects that require ultimate keenness. It tends to be even more important among creative businesses, especially for sensitive processes such as drafting contracts for employees, clients, and partners.

    A clearly drafted contract essentially ensures you are “on the same page” with the parties you are working for or with. It also helps to make sure that your creative business expectations are met efficiently. Most importantly, it helps keep things legal in the running of your business. On the flip side, a poorly drafted creative business contract can be a source of disappointment, losses, and eventual failure.

    So, do you run or are you thinking of starting your own creative business but having no idea how to draft quality contracts? If yes is your answer, this piece is for you. 

    Here are some tips you could use to avoid poorly drafted contracts.

    1. Define the Scope of Your Work Clearly

    As a creative business owner, you need to state clearly and specifically every vital element surrounding the creative project you will be undertaking. For instance, it should include the project timelines, deliverables, and so on. Otherwise, wise you may get frustrated when your clients keep requesting frequent project adjustments. In such a scenario, you will just waste your significant chunks of time which could otherwise be used in other productive creative activities. With a clearly defined project scope, once the contract is signed, any additional changes should go along with additional cost implications.  

    2. Utilize Disclaimers to Prevent Liability 

    Like businesses in many other industries, creative businesses could attract certain liabilities. If you are promoting someone else’s work or product, for instance, you could easily attract lawsuits if it turns out that they are not the original owners of the work or product. As explained at BerkleySweetApple.com, disclaimers can help protect your business from civil liability in various ways. Some of these ways include:

    • Providing notice of ownership for your intellectual property
    • When promoting free products or at a fee
    • Working in industries that need a practicing license
    • When running advisory services on a website

    3. Ensure You Are Clear On Who Will Own Your Creative Work

    When it comes to contracts involving creative work, never forget to include a statement on the particular creative work ownership. For example, as a graphic designer, you may create logos, and as a writer, you may be requested to write a paid guest blog post. In such scenarios, it may be unclear who owns the particular creative work and the rights associated with the work. So, you may decide to assign ownership to the client or grant them a license with terms of usage. The license dictates terms such as how, where, and for how long a client should use your creative work, whether you will be receiving royalty payments upon use or sale of your creative work, etc.

    4. Describe the Project Changes and the Associated Cost Implications

    Most often, no matter how clear the project scope is, some clients will still want to do some changes here and there to the original project requirements. In fact, some will expect you to do additional work without any extra payments. In this kind of situation, clearly written and signed agreements come in handy. It should clearly stipulate what happens in case of added work or project changes, including costs and obligations.

    5. Nail down Everything Concerning Money Matters

    Let’s face it; most contracts related clashes are due to money matters. Therefore, it is essential to clearly specify all the details about your payments. In fact, just quoting your price isn’t enough, and invoices are not contracts either. You need to go ahead and clarify the terms of payments. For example, you may decide to either receive some portion of your fees upfront or get paid some set amounts after achieving specified project milestones. Other terms may include outlining how to get compensated in case a client cancels a project after you have already started working on it. Also, elaborate on whether you will be reimbursed for your incurred expenses. In a nutshell, you are just trying to establish a solid agreement with your client on money matters to avoid future money-related conflicts.

    6. Specify the Process to Be Followed When Changing the Agreement 

    While a written contract is the final agreement with your clients, the reality of the matter is that the contract may still require some unavoidable changes. However, there should be a specified procedure to follow when undertaking this process. The process should be on fairgrounds for both parties. Most people may ask for the changes orally via phone calls, which is rarely a reliable approach. It may lead to arguments since there is no written record to validate the process.

    Finally, you will also want to make it clear that the written agreement is final. When putting down a contract agreement, the goal is to identify things that could cause unnecessary misunderstanding and confusion with your client or the parties you work with. It also established laid-down guidelines to address disagreements that could crop up in the process of conducting business. This means that it should be professionally drafted. The above tips can help when running a creative business.

  • Understanding the Benefits of Using a Franking Machine

    Understanding the Benefits of Using a Franking Machine

    There are many channels in which you can grow and improve your business. Within these different channels, there are more strategies and prospects to consider. If you evaluate the processing and shipping part of your business, one of the methods you can help your business improve is through a franking machine. Ideally, a franking machine is used to weigh or measure your outgoing items such as parcels, packages, letters and cover the appropriate postage. With a franking machine, businesses get to prepay their postage costs, insert dates, and bind a customized business image before having the mail dropped off at a local post. You can reap many benefits by introducing a franking machine into your business. Please read on to find out how.

    1. Time-Saving

    In most cases, stamps will run out at the most ill-timed period; this is how it is. Making several trips to your local post for more stamps is time-consuming and inconvenient. Finding an ideal franking machine for your franked mail will help bring order and convenience to your business. You become more efficient with your day when you cut out regular trips to the post office. Ideally, a franking machine can be topped up 24/7, and it only takes less than a minute. Even when your local post office is shut, you’ll never run out of postage. Also, processing outgoing mail becomes less of a detestable task.

    1. Gives Your Business a Professional Image

    Did you know putting your brand on your mail can boost open ability by over 250%? Sending your mail this way shows professionalism to your business partners and customers. What’s more, you can customize the ink stamp to your business’s brand logo so that it carries your business image on it. Also, the stamp can contain messages. This comes in handy when you have anything you need to promote, such as discount offers or promotions. You can also add promotional texts or other business messages. For this reason, investing in a franking machine provides significant marketing advantages to your business.

    1. Cut Back on Courier Costs

    There are many ways to lower costs with a franking machine outside of the regular costs. If you limit the number of trips you take to the post office to buy stamps, you save money on business expenses. Such expenses could include saving on gas from operating costs. It could also be eliminating the cost of having to hire couriers or delivery companies to transport and ship your packages. All these savings will likely impact your overall operating fees and expenses. Over time, this provides you with high-profit margins. This can be helpful for small businesses where every expense counts.

    1. 24/7 Accessibility

    Topping up a franking machine is a fast and easy process. Even better is that you can do it online. This means you can be franking mail 24/7. This is extremely helpful, especially when you’re dealing with urgent jobs or unplanned mailouts. Also, post office queues can be avoided. This saves time for your staff to focus on other crucial business activities.

    1. Under Stamping

    In the past, Royal Mail used to charge the sender if the postal items were under-stamped. Today, things have dramatically changed. Now they will dispatch the item to the recipient’s receiving office and ask the recipient to pick up the item. The recipient also pays the difference plus a handling fee. If you accidentally under stamp mail, this can cause inconvenience to your customers, and it could cost them money. With a franking machine, it’s easy to get accurate postage each time. This helps avoid the embarrassment of under-stamping.

    1. Inventory Check

    When you have a franking machine, you never have to worry about stamps. This is not just in the financial sense but in other ways. You don’t need to worry about recording stock or inventory for your postage. You also eliminate the need to think about replenishment always. It might seem like a minute benefit; however, it contributes to time and energy for business activities.

    1. Expense Accounts

    Any transaction made with a franking machine can always be traced and tracked. With this, you can monitor each postage cost at the touch of a button. This allows your business to stay within a specific postage budget. Additionally, you can also make adjustments when necessary.

    A franking machine provides immense benefits to business owners. As your business operations expand, you will need to consider strategies to improve your business operations. Having a franking machine is one of that equipment that provides you a multitude of benefits. This is critical for small businesses that are searching for ways to improve in various aspects.

  • 5 Tools for Streamlining Your Small or Online Business

    5 Tools for Streamlining Your Small or Online Business

    Despite Covid-19 and as we begin to settle into a new decade, a modern business is required to keep up with an almost 24/7 demand. 2020 saw a huge increase in online business and retail as many traditional establishments were forced to close or suspend activities as the pandemic took hold.

    Slowly but surely in 2021, as vaccination programs get underway, businesses of all types are set to reopen and resume in the months ahead so whether you are totally based online or in the real world, you are going to need to get back to normal operations as quickly and efficiently as possible.

    Streamlining a business is an ongoing process that changes all the time depending on external factors such as economy, demand, and technological advancements or constraints but there are some techniques that you  can implement right now for a more efficient business:

    • Answering service
    • Managed IT
    • Software automation
    • Paper reduction
    • Website and Social media

    You might be lucky enough to be so busy that you can’t answer the phone all the time so an outsourced receptionist service might become necessary while a Managed IT service can secure your digital assets and software automation can provide a huge boost to your production by letting a computer take care of menial and repetitive tasks. The paperless office concept is nothing new but using more electronic programs is quicker, easier, and will reduce your carbon footprint while establishing a website and a social media presence are an absolute must in the information age.

    Just a Moment

    Using a receptionist goes back almost as long as the use of the telephone and a receptionist is usually the first point of contact between a customer and your business, therefore they are an integral part of any modern company. Depending on your business scale an extra full-time salary could be a huge expense that your business might not be able to afford. 

    Additionally, you may be performing jobs where answering the phone just isn’t viable for a large part of the day. If this is the case then you might want to get an answering service. Outsourcing to a professional answering service like this can save time and money since they charge a small fee for each answered call rather than paying somebody to sit at a phone in your office at a full salary. 

    For a nominal fee, a trained receptionist will answer calls to your unique number with the information provided by you. They can also forward calls directly to you over a cell or landline number or as a message via SMS or email. Additionally, they offer Virtual Assistant services that can perform administrative duties that normally cost a business manager on average 25% of their professional time, therefore freeing you up to get on with more pressing tasks.

    Do you know that having a calendar template is one of the best strategies for improving productivity?

    Everyone’s a Target

    Protecting your business against unwanted intrusion is a vital and necessary tool for any company in the modern world, whether you operate as an online business or not. Any type of digital data is at risk of being stolen and sold on the dark web, which has become a very lucrative business over the past few years.

    Malicious hackers steal personal data that includes names, addresses, and bank account details which is then auctioned to the highest bidder, sometimes for a lot of money. Just recently, the Polish developer of the video games Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher, CD Projekt Red, had some of their source code stolen as well as employee’s personal information, all of which was reportedly sold for millions on the black market.

    While large corporations do indeed suffer cyber-attacks, the vast majority of cyber-attacks are inflicted upon small and medium-sized businesses. Small businesses are the main target of hackers and over 60% of small businesses don’t implement security measures since they don’t believe that they will be targeted, which is exactly why they are. Because of this, using a Managed IT Service should be considered if you use any type of online service, which in the 21st century is highly likely. 

    A Managed IT Service can help with all aspects of online security for a relatively small fee which includes anti-malware and intrusion techniques, internet security, cloud-based services, data backup, software updates, and hardware as a service.

    Let the Computer Do It

    While process automation is usually thought of as an initially large expense, which it can be, depending on the circumstances, using programmed technology to perform repetitive tasks pays off in the long term. However, not all process automation involves complex and expensive robots or machines and also refers to automation software that can increase the efficiency and productivity of your business model as well as the shop floor.

    The most basic example would be an email automatic reply. By setting this up via an email client, whenever your email address receives a message, an automatic reply message will be sent back with previously written details such as “Thank you for your inquiry, we will get back to you soon”. 

    Imagine if you had to write that message every time you got an email; it would be boring and time-consuming, and these can be customized with logos and details with information gathered from forms that can make it seem like a manual reply, which is great for customer service. In addition to this, a personalized welcome message can also be programmed, further compounding the customer service relationship between your company and a new client.

    Other examples of software automation include reminders of appointments and jobs, social media posting and blog scheduling, or reminding customers of shopping cart abandonment for e-commerce sites.

    Email, E-Signatures, Easy

    Bill Gates is probably the most famous proponent of the paperless office which was the driving force behind the development of Microsoft Office which has been a huge advantage in the digital office since 1990. Office applications such as MS Office, Open Office, and G Suite provide digital solutions and tools for all manner of office activities that would normally require paper and other materials.

    Internal memos, important procedure documents, classified material, presentations, schedulers, and financial reports can all be created in office software and sent as electronic files to necessary staff. Because of the global pandemic, 2020 also saw a significant increase to double the number of users signing up for e-signature software which allows for the secure and legally binding signing of digital contracts and documents through various software such as DocuSign, Zapier, and AdobeSign.  

    Not only are these tools extremely useful and quick to use but they can reduce the costs of an office when you consider the amount of paper a modern-day office requires, whiteboards for meetings, pens, and even paperclips. In addition, using digital tools over paper will contribute to reducing your carbon footprint and all digital data can be encrypted and secured in ways that are impossible with physical media.

    Online and Ready for Business

    The proliferation of the world wide web and social media over the past 20 years means that a web presence is no longer optional but rather a necessary and key component of any business. Apart from physically calling your company, the majority of people will interact with your website or social media profile as the first point of contact, if only to gather information.

    Because of this, it is highly recommended that you develop a professional website with all of the necessary information required by a prospective client such as contact details, a mission statement, what you offer, and why you are the best choice over others in your industry. Some businesses even write blog posts based on their industry which not only provides users with educational information but establishes and certifies your authority in a given industry.

    A good accompaniment to a website is a social media presence and since almost 80% of small businesses now use social media as a promotional tool you will have to do so as well if you are to beat any competition. While a website is accessible by almost anyone in the world, a social media account is a great tool for promoting your business on a local level. 

    Platforms like Facebook provide tools for local advertising based on your company location and can be set to expose your ads to Facebook users based in and around your physically provided location. This type of advertising can also be focused even more based on user interaction and it costs a relatively small amount for what it can potentially provide.

  • 3 Data Protection Methods Your Business Needs

    3 Data Protection Methods Your Business Needs

    The modern world means that almost every business requires the use of some kind of digital data whether it’s office-based administration, digital invoicing, or e-signatures for contracts. Data has become a valuable commodity and the threat of being maliciously hacked for the purposes of personal data theft is real and probable if you do not employ the necessary security measures. 

    As a business, you have a responsibility to protect the data of not only your company and your employees but your customers as well. While the threat of a data breach is always looming, fortunately, even basic protection can greatly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

    Depending on your business type, different methods in varying combinations might be required but some of the best ways to protect data include:

    • Encryption
    • Managed IT
    • Employee training

    Encryption makes it almost impossible for data to be accessed without authorization while a managed IT package can deliver great results and employee training on data security should be the first step.

    Lock and Key

    Data encryption is an excellent tool against the unauthorized access of data since the methods used make it very difficult, if not impossible for someone to access it. Every business type including the Construction industry, food and hospitality, and medical centers needs to use some kind of electronic data transmission. This could include emails, electronic invoices, or patient records and if these aren’t adequately protected could be very easy for a hacker to steal and disastrous for your company.

    Fortunately, encrypting data is easy and can be done with software and/or plugins for apps. It works by scrambling the data of a message or file in such a way that it is unreadable unless opened by special software and an access key provided by the sender or an authorized user. There are multiple methods of encryption but some of the best tools to use are LastPass, BitLocker, and VeraCrypt.

    Outsource to Professionals

    A survey found that 60% of small businesses don’t believe that they will be the target of a hack and don’t take necessary measures, which is exactly why hackers target small businesses. A growing trend and a popular form of securing data is the use of a Managed IT Service. These specialized companies can provide all the necessary security that a business needs and more. 

    Employing your own IT security team and all purchasing and installing the equipment necessary for a network can be very expensive, so outsourcing this could be more beneficial. For a relatively small fee for the services provided, Managed IT companies can provide round-the-clock network monitoring, cloud-based network services, antimalware scans, regular data backups, and IT support. The support of a Managed IT service is one of the best long-term solutions to data security and should be considered as soon as possible.

    Educate and Train Your Staff

    As with the old days of hacking, employee ignorance is still a key security weakness when it comes to data breaches. A responsible business owner that deals with any kind of digital data should make it a priority to train staff on correct data security procedures. A recent study found that 65% of participants employed password reuse across multiple sites and accounts which is obviously a huge risk. 

    Employees should be educated in at least proper password usage that includes different and complex passwords for different sites, not writing down or sharing passwords and usernames and never revealing them to anybody over the phone or in emails, not even “IT security”, who could in fact be a hacker posing as a network administrator. Other training could include encryption, authorized device network access and chain of custody procedures.