Business Tips

The world of retail is ever-evolving and complex. In the modern marketplace, more retailers are going out of business every year, even the established names that have been on the high-street for decades. However, the fact remains that there are well-run retailers who are doing quite well, despite the market conditions. For your retail business to do well like others, you need to use the right tools to help you on the way.

Below are just some of the powerful tools every retailer needs to keep their business running smoothly like a well-oiled machine.

1. Salesforce CRM

To run and grow your retail business, you need a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. Among other things, a CRM software enables you to record and store all the contacts and interactions you have with your potential and existing customers, provides a platform for your sales team to collaborate to win more customers, and automate customer follow-ups.

This is where Salesforce CRM comes in. Salesforce is one of the top web-based CRM applications in the world. With Salesforce, you can better manage all your customer service channels from one central dashboard, create loyalty programs, get insights, and move customers along the path to purchase.

2. Intuit QuickBooks

One of the more difficult aspects of running a business in the retail industry is taking care of accounting and bookkeeping. Many business owners find that they benefit from using a programme to make the job easier. Intuit QuickBooks fits the bill perfectly.

QuickBooks is accounting software that helps you keep the financial side of your business at your fingertips, across multiple devices, including your smartphone.

If you have been using Microsoft Excel before, you can easily import all your data into QuickBooks.

With QuickBooks, you can snap and store receipts, download your bank transactions, calculate and file your VAT, manage your payroll, track real-time stock levels, and much more.

3. Vend

The importance of the Point Of Sale (POS) to a retail business cannot be overstated. While the means of paying for goods has changed and developed over the years, the principles of the importance of the POS remain the same.

One great POS management system you should consider deploying in your retail business is Vend POS. Vend is a multi-outlet retail and inventory management system that enables you to collect payments and manage your sales with ease.

You can use Vend to manage returns, refunds, and store credit. With Vend it’s easy to restrict what individual staff can see and do. Another benefit of the Vend platform is the ability to track all cash movements to minimise errors and prevent theft. This feature is a huge relief because cash errors, discrepancies, and theft can have a devastating effect on your retail business, which is why contents insurance is vital.

4. Ximble

In the retail business, workforce management is another key area you must manage well to sustain your business and keeping it running smoothly.

If you’re looking for a tool to make staff management easy for you, look no further than Ximble – a web-based workforce management tool that enables you to maximise staff productivity, improve communications, and reduce the costs of labour.

With Ximble you can create and publish a schedule for all your workers to see online. Also, Ximble empowers to manage multiple departments in multiple locations and assign shifts to specific employees with the skill to do the job. Also, your workers can clock in through an app, tablet, or browser. And it comes with facial recognition to help you prevent buddy punching.

Conclusion

When you combine the power of relationship management with proper accounting, easy electronic checkout, and workforce management, your retail business will not only run smoothly but also thrive. It’s possible when you use the right tools.

 

Link building has been key to SEO for years, but these days it’s all about link quality over quantity. It’s no longer enough to have reems of external links (also called backlinks) pointing towards your website;  they need to be high-quality, relevant links from websites with high domain authority. These links will make your website look more trustworthy and authoritative, helping search engines to rank you higher. Don’t just take our word for it; Google confirmed that links and content are the two most important ranking factors back in 2016. Plus, the more relevant places that link to your website, the more chances you have of gaining relevant referral traffic.

Follow our 25 link building tips for 2019 to make sure that you’re attracting relevant links and getting the most out of them.

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1. Understand your existing links
   Tools like SEMRush can help you see which pages are linking to you, and their quality. This snapshot of your present link profile will help when it comes to tracking the progress of your work.
2. Put someone in charge
   Link building can be resource intensive, so it’s important to have someone dedicated to promoting your content and always looking for new opportunities.
3. Create inspiring content
   Creating content that people are excited to share is the best way to earn natural links back to your website. Infographics are popular and engaging, performing the best in comparison to other visual formats.
4. Leverage existing relationships
   Reach out to relevant partners, customers, industry associates – anyone you share common ground with –  for valuable in-content links.
5. Build new relationships
   Identify niche-related communities: blogs, forums, social media groups. Contributing to discussions within these will help create contacts who should be primed to offer you backlinks going forward.
6. Optimise your blog
   Make sure that your blog is regularly updated with unique and engaging content. Post about your passions and expertise, creating linkworthy content that people will value.
7. Look at competitor links
   Try a tool like Majestic for an in-depth look at competitor link profiles,  providing you with ideas on where to focus your efforts.
8. Pursue links your competitors don’t have
   Once you have a clear understanding of your competitors’ link profiles, you’ll be able to identify inbound links they don’t have. Pursue these for a competitive edge.
9. Links from bloggers
   Establishing connections with relevant bloggers can earn you quality links. Try offering them your product or service for free. Using a blogger outreach service can speed up the process of identifying and reaching out to new contacts.
10. Connect with influencers
    Influencers within your niche will be well-respected and authoritative. Their recommendations carry weight, and a link from them is valuable for SEO and your reputation.
11. Guest blogging
    Reach out to websites where your input and opinion will be valuable. This will build links and your reputation as an authoritative voice. After a while, websites should start approaching you for guest content and blogs.
12. Interviews
    Text interviews, videos, podcasts – interviews provide a valuable opportunity to earn backlinks in any format. Be as helpful and expert as you can, to increase your chances of being approached again.
13. Links earned from webinars
    Webinars are a great opportunity to position yourself as an expert and to earn links. Host your webinar somewhere that makes it easy for other websites to embed your content, such as YouTube.
14. Links from surveys and research
    Holding surveys or commissioning research on a regular basis – and publicising the results – can generate content that editors love to link to.
15. Trend-watching
    Keep your ear to the ground for new trends that are relevant to your niche. Being the first to share insight or opinion will earn you quality links.
16. Content round-ups
    Does your industry have regular content curators who round up the best pieces from the month? Earning a link in these is a great way to generate relevant referral traffic.
17. Turn mentions into links
    Use tools like Content Explorer and Screaming Frog to discover unlinked mentions. These could be your brand name, unique products or services that you offer, or brand representatives. Once you have your list ready, reach out to the websites in question to see if they’ll add the link in, making the experience more useful for their users.
18. Prospect for broken links
    Scan industry or influencer blogs for broken links using a tool like Check My Links. Contact the publisher with any you find and use the opportunity to pitch your content as a replacement.
19. Outdated content
    Scour industry/niche publications for content that is outdated and offer to provide fresh, up-to-date content in exchange for a link.
20. Testimonials
    Reach out to businesses and suppliers you’ve worked with, offering them a testimonial in return for them linking back to your website.
21. Feature in membership lists
    Join industry or local associations or organisations. These usually have an online directory of their members, which include business details and website links.
22. Run competitions
    Run weekly or monthly competitions and contact relevant websites to see if they’ll provide a mention, with a link, on their site.
23. Business listing websites
    Create profiles on business listing websites for your industry. You might need to pay a small fee, but you should be able to include a link back to your website.
24. Press releases
    Having news about your business or brand picked up by digital news publishers is a quick way to generate high quality, natural links.
25. Internal linking
    Internal links might not be as powerful as external links, but they still play a part in where your pages rank. Make sure that your internal links help guide your website visitors through your content logically and helpfully.

It’s simple when you break it down – the higher you rank in search engines and the more places you promote your content online, the more potential customers or partners you’ll drive to your website. Follow our top link-building tips and watch your SEO performance soar.

Scaling your business is not as easy as it initially may seem. It takes hard work, effort and determination to drive your business forward to produce great results. Unfortunately,things don’t come naturally, so as a business you must research, converse with professionals and know the market inside out before you fully commit to growing your business effectively. In the beginning stages, as a business owner,you will need to perform numerous roles. You should be able to devise a marketing strategy, have a good eye for hiring prospective employers and have a clear vision of where you see your company going in the next 5years and beyond.

While the initial stages of successfully planning and putting into practice a business plan may seem straight forward, it also helps to identify ways to improve, and avenues to explore to help grow your business. There is an abundance of business strategies that people follow as a quick recipe for success, but these are usually not built with any specific goals in mind, so it is important to tailor a business plan specifically to you and your vision. 

Know your competitors

When aiming to build a successful company, one of the first things to discover is your main competitors. Who are you up against? How saturated is the market? Andhow many people are doing what you are doing? How can you make yourself stand out and be different? Each business plan needs to include a detailed competitor analysis. Thisis your chance to look at the market and reallythink about how you can be different, learn what others are doing, how they are doing them and why. 

Have a think of your main competitors and their strengths and weaknesses, replicate the things that they do well during your business venture, and keep clear of those things they are not doing particularly great at. Learn their business, their prices, their target market, how they market to consumers and what their reputation is like both locally, nationally or even worldwide. The more information you have on them, the better. 

Identify new opportunities 

The key to building a successful career throughout your business is to constantly identify new opportunities and leave no stone unturned when it comes to looking for new ways you can maximise your returns. Throughanalysing what is available, you can start to embark on new opportunities. Thismay be through new marketing strategies, a new location for your office, or even a new target market, whatever you think will work best for you to help your business get off the ground and expand naturally.  

Build an email list 

There is not much point in having consumers interested in your business, concept or product if they don’t regularly hear about your updates and what interests them. Setting up an email by asking loyal customers to subscribe will ensure you keep your current customers happy, as well as promoting repeat business. Thisis one of the most effective ways to grow a business quickly. Property investment companies like RW Invest use an email list to communicate to their extensive database of property investors about new opportunities within the UK. This is a perfect way to tell their experienced investors about their latest products available on the market and for maximising business opportunities.

Let’s face it, going to work can feel like a drag. Getting yourself out of bed is hard enough, but the thought of spending 8 hours or more in a tiny cubicle makes it even more difficult. Spending time in your dull workspace can make the day drag on. The thought of getting home to your cozy home might be the only thing getting you through the day.

But guess what, it doesn’t need to be this way! Your workplace does not need to feel like a prison, believe it or not. You spend a good chunk of your time at the office, so why not make it more enjoyable? Here are a few things you can do to make your workspace feel more like home.

Bring in some natural lighting

Fluorescent lighting is harsh on the eyes, and it can literally make it feel like you’re in a jail cell. Proper lighting can make all the difference, so think about bringing in a lamp or two. This might be difficult if you work from a cubicle, but in your own office space it is more than possible.

Invest in some plants or flower arrangements

Another easy thing you can do is bring in some plants, preferably fake ones since real ones take some maintenance. Succulents are very in right now, so buy a few and put them throughout the room. A floral arrangement is also a great way to brighten up the space and bring some color into it.

Pictures and artwork can make a huge difference

Whether you have an eye for art or not, you can’t deny that every bare walls needs a painting, poster, or tapestry of some kind. Motivational posters are the norm for office spaces, but you don’t need to be cliche. Pick out artwork you actually like; after all, you’ll be the one looking at it all day. If you have shelves or desk space, add some framed pictures of people or places that are important to you.

Comfortable seating is key

Who says you need to be uncomfortable while sitting at your desk? Invest in a comfy chair, and if you have space in your office you can even add a couch. Your desk chair should be supportive; you shouldn’t suffer from back problems later on in life from sitting at work. But remember, no matter how comfortable your chair is you should still get up and move around every once in a while.

Not only should you feel comfortable, so should your customers, clients, and fellow employees. When you’re interviewing someone for a job opening and grilling him/her with behavioral questions – read more here – both you and the candidate shouldn’t be thinking about the stiff chair.

Bring in a coffee maker and keep your snack drawer stocked

Your office probably has a coffee maker, but if not you definitely need one to get your early morning caffeine fix. And you can stave off those afternoon munchies by designating one of your desk drawers for snacks.

 

All businesses are not alike, and finding suitable space will all depend on the needs of your business. If you are an artsy, creative type, a building located further away from downtown might be a better solution for your business, and in many cases, it might add to your brand. However, if your business mandates you are within close vicinity to the downtown centre, finding space will not only be difficult, it might be expensive.

Office space for rent in most American cities all depends on your location. The closer you move into the downtown area the higher the rents. As office space radiates out toward the suburbs, prices drop, unless the area is particularly affluent. The hunt for the perfect space can be a major task that requires much consideration on the part of the business owner simply because most leases outside ask businesses to commit to longer contracts.

Let’s take a closer look at how to find office space that is perfect for your business.

Size

When looking for office space, most city and state laws have occupancy rates, which determine how much space per person you need. When looking for space, consider how many people plan to be in the room working and then estimate the square footage of space that each piece of furniture will take up. This can tell you just how much space you will need to comfortably work in the office.

Then, make sure to project for future growth. Moving an office is no easy task, and you want to plan to remain in the space a few years. When looking at space, consider whether or not there is room to grow in the office. This is important because many leases last anywhere from one year to seven, and you do not want your office to spill into other areas as business grows.

Go Through An Agent

Commercial real estate agents have the expertise to help you understand the important parts of a lease. Without an agent, you risk leasing a space without really understanding the terms of the contract. With a leasing agent, tell her/him your business needs and they can show the places that fit the bill. Plus, you do not have to worry about talking to landlords who might or might not be as forthcoming as they should be.

Ask To See The Contract

If you find a space that you like, look at the details of the contract. Review late payment policies and breaking the lease penalties to determine any costs that might be assessed. Also, up for consideration is knowing the common areas and office areas. This is important because leasing offices might not include common areas as a part of maintenance. This is also important in terms of being able to place signage and other objects in front of the business.

When looking at the contract, you want to pay attention to what is included with the office. Some spaces will include utilities and other amenities as a part of the rent, and while the rent will be slightly higher, you only pay fewer bills a month. Alternatively, rent that does not include utilities will be significantly lower, but you will pay more bills every month. This is only important for budgeting purposes in that if you are a start-up it might be easier to pay one all-inclusive bill.

Rent That Is The Perfect Fit

Finding office space does not have to be complicated. In fact, with the right leasing agent and your own preparation, you can be in your new space quickly. When looking for space, though, focus on the size of the office and the contract, and you can manage to find space that meets most of your business’s needs.