by Monica Peña | Aug 10, 2022 | Business Tips
By Alison Flangel
In the age of digital technology, shopping has changed exponentially. Whether your small business offers a series of products or services, having a professional website is essential for sales. A website is essentially showcasing your business to the world, which means it must be unique and memorable. Refer to our previous blog on Establishing a Professional Domain, which explains how you can create a website from scratch.
Tips on Making your Website Stand-Out:
- Create a gallery page! Consumers love seeing visual representation of what your business offers. Having a page on your website dedicated to pictures can give customers an idea of what they would be getting when supporting your business. Make sure that the pictures showcased on a gallery page are high-quality and professional.
- It is important to showcase your staff on your businesses website. Clients often want to know who they will be working with, so creating short employee bios is a great way to allow for easy introductions. Consider adding in some fun questions to these bios, such as your favorite movie or best childhood memory.
- Do your best to keep website content fresh and updated. It is never fun to read old information that is no longer relevant, especially if you are a consumer looking to buy a product in real-time. Post announcements, accomplishments, and everything in between on your website.
- Encourage sales by including customer testimonials on your website. Success stories and examples of how you have helped people naturally encourage and inhibit trust between your business and potential customers.
- Don’t be afraid to use color and fun fonts on your site! While minimalism can often hold true to the motto less is more, a memorable website will often have elements that stick out which forces us to remember them. Using bright colors and lettering is one way that you can make your website unique.
- Add a blog component to your business website. Becoming a nuanced expert in the form of blogging can grab the attention of customers by teaching them new things. Share your knowledge in the form of a blog that can be regularly updated!
by Monica Peña | Aug 10, 2022 | Business Tips
By Alison Flangel
Small businesses bring charm to our economy, which is one of the many reasons they are so beloved. Despite the success your small business might face, maintaining a level of personal touch is important in order to keep customers engaged. By finding the delicate balance between technology and human interaction, customer loyalty will likely increase.
Here are four ways that small business owners can maintain their personal touch:
- Keep customers informed
As you are working with clients to sell a product or perform a service, let them know where they are in the process. This can be executed through text updates, emails, or letters that are sent directly to individual households. By providing clients with direct contacts they can reach out to if they need assistance, people will feel personally connected to your company. - Show customers growth
It is important to let clients know that you are not only aware of their needs, but you are excited to support them in the future. Taking the time to get to know your customers can help to navigate a mutual understanding, which will help not hinder communication and loyalty. Individuals will feel more prone to support your business if you take the time to get to know them. - Use a CRM System
A customer relationship management system (CRM) allows all your team members to access data about past and present clients that have supported your business. Using a CRM system allows you to write down notes and details about a customer, so that connection and the growth of trust can be built between consumers and employees. Remembering details as little as someone’s name or birthday can make customers feel special. - Use social media to your advantage
Oftentimes small businesses become involved in their local communities. If your company is involved in local community service work, or helps the community in any capacity, consider posting pictures and updates to social media sites. Featuring the work that you do to give back to the community can highlight the human elements of your business, which oftentimes makes customers inclined to support you in the end.
by Monica Peña | Aug 10, 2022 | Business Tips
By Alison Flangel
Owning a small business requires help and cooperation from the people we chose to surround ourselves with … which means the teams we build must be strong ones. Employees should lift you up and contribute positively to your business, which in turn creates a healthy work environment.
How to build a great team for your small business:
- Create and explain your business vision
Before you make the decision to hire employees, it is important to communicate your goals and what you are aiming for within your company. Some components of a vision include: the type of culture you want to build, your future plans, and the environment of customers you hope to cater to. By explaining your vision to potential employees, you will get a sense of which individuals are the right fit for your business. - Define roles clearly
Once you have made the decision on individuals you want to hire as employees, it is essential to determine each person’s strengths and weaknesses. By doing so, roles will naturally be defined. As a small business owner it is important to constantly remind employees of the roles they are assigned to, in order to make sure work is effectively done. If roles are not clearly defined, progress and efficiency will be affected. - Implement team-building exercises into your routine
Small businesses often hinder fast-paced work environments, which means that your team must work fluidly. Team-building exercises can oftentimes help employees bond and get to know eachother better, which equates to becoming more effective in the business setting. Examine your employees to determine what type of bonding exercise would be most beneficial; paintball, go-karting, yoga class, etc… Something low budget such as providing drinks and snacks on a Friday afternoon can also work very well. - Identify problems head-on
As much as problems can be avoided, there is no doubt you will run into issues with employees. In this type of situation, you must carefully address the situation, because oftentimes problems can arise when someone is having crises arise in their personal life. Other times employees just may not be the best fit for your company. Firing someone should be a last resort, although make sure to follow local legislation if you make this decision.
by Monica Peña | Aug 10, 2022 | Business Tips
By Alison Flangel
Being the owner of a small business is often compared to being the parent to a child … small businesses are close to the heart. This being said, an effective business owner must learn how to delegate their responsibilities to other employees in order to run a successful company.
How to Delegate Responsibilities as a Small Business Owner:
- Determine which parts of the business you would rather not do –
No one loves doing every part of their job equally. Sometimes there are things that we do not enjoy, or are not one of our strong suits. If there are things you find yourself avoiding as a business owner, it could be something to consider delegating to others. For example, if you are not the best with technology, consider leaving social media posts to a colleague. - Choose whom you delegate to wisely –
Similarly to how we don’t enjoy doing every aspect of a job, each individual within a business has various strengths and weaknesses. It is important to take the time to learn about your employees skill sets before you delegate tasks. As a business owner, your priority should be setting up your employees for success. Trust is key! - Define expectations clearly –
In order to ensure a job is well done by an individual other than yourself, clear expectations and mutual understanding is necessary. Business owners are responsible for explicitly explaining to employees how they want a task to be completed, with an outline of each step in the process. - Don’t forget to praise hard work –
While this may sound elementary, acknowledging someone’s hard work, especially when it is your employee, goes a long way. Making a conscious effort to communicate with your employees and remind them they are doing a good job can make individuals feel appreciated, and gain respect for the importance of the task.
by Monica Peña | Aug 10, 2022 | Business Tips
By Alison Flangel
The people we surround ourselves with can either bring us up or drag us down – this goes for employees too! As a small business owner it is important to be selective as you are hiring staff, as these are the people you are trusting to help run your business. Here are some tips on what to look for when hiring your own employees …
- It is essential to clearly define your job descriptions before you even look for individuals to hire. Things to include are:duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and the work environment of a particular role. If the job description is true to your expectations, it will be much easier to find someone who is fit for the job.
- Creating a checklist can be an effective way to narrow down the hiring process. A checklist can include the aspects of a new hire that you feel are essential for decision making. A checklist for hiring employees also keeps your efforts on track by communication progress to interested employees.
- The search for new employees can involve a lot of resumes, cover letters, and applications. It is important to closely analyze all materials in order to make an informed decision regarding new hires. Consider screening all applicants against a list of qualifications, skills, and characteristics.
- When you ultimately get to the interview stage of the hiring process, as a business owner you are responsible for asking the right job interview questions. The questions that you ask individuals during an interview are critical in helping you to hire the right employee. Questions you ask should target an individual’s character, experience, and
knowledge. - While the line between business and personal life can sometimes be thin, it is important to check backgrounds and references when hiring new employees. As a business owner, you need to ensure that employees’ previous experiences and credentials are legitimate and verified. Background checks should include work references, criminal history, etc…
