Start, Run, & Grow Your Business

Why You Need a Virtual Phone Number for Your Small Business

Switching to a virtual phone system may help your business become more efficient while presenting a more professional appearance. Staying competitive requires your business to remain connected. Employees need to remain connected to clients, vendors, and each other. A dedicated phone system allows you to assign numbers to specific departments or staff and route calls or texts to different employees. Unfortunately, many small business owners lack the budget for an expensive phone system, which is one of many reasons why a virtual phone system is a smarter choice. What is a Virtual Phone? Virtual phone systems are cloud-based systems that allow users to make and receive calls from any Internet-connected device. Calls and texts are sent and received through the cloud instead of a landline. You gain access to a wide range of features and functionalities designed to support your business operations because the virtual phone number …

Comprehensive Guide of Resources to Help Real Estate Agents Thrive

Real estate agents looking to attract more clients or sell properties faster have endless resources at their disposal. However, those who are new to real estate may not know where to start. It can all be extremely overwhelming when first getting things going. To save you the hassle of scouring the Internet, we’ve compiled a list of the best tools. From digital marketing platforms to 3D virtual tours, the Internet has everything needed to move real estate quickly. With the following online resources, you’ll have no problem thriving in the most competitive real estate markets. 1. Join the Leading Real Estate Marketing Platforms Every real estate agent should obviously take advantage of marketing platforms to reach a larger audience. The top real estate marketing platforms include: Zillow Realtor.com Homes.com Adwerx Zillow and Realtor.com give agents access to an online toolkit with helpful resources, including templates for emails and newsletters. However, …

Perception vs Reality of Entrepreneurship

So why exactly would you want to be an entrepreneur? Most seasoned entrepreneurs would say it’s for one of three reasons: you’re a starry-eyed novice who sees the next Mark Zuckerburg every time you pass a mirror; you can’t wait to get the life kicked out of you by the reality of self-employment; or maybe–just maybe–you have a marketable idea you’re passionate about & the commitment to get it done right. Probably everyone toying with entrepreneurship believes they fall into the final category. But do you really? How can you be sure? It’s important to know the difference between the fantasy of starting a business and the reality of doing so before investing your money, your career, and your family’s financial future in a brand-new endeavor. So what’s the difference between the perception of entrepreneurship and its reality? Here are a few business tips for the future small business …

No Dairy, No Problem: How OATLY Is Crushing the Competition

Do you dislike soy or almond milk? And certainly don’t want to drink an entire glass of cow’s milk? If so, you’re not alone. The disdain and need for dairy-free milk led a food scientist from Sweden to develop something new: oat-based milk. OATLY was launched in 1994 and now generates over $200 million in sales each year. So, how did a Swedish scientist start a business that revolutionized the dairy alternative market? He created an alternative that actually tastes seriously good. However, there is so much more to the story than just great tasting vegan milk.. Academic Research Led to a Dairy Free Breakthrough Back in the early 1990s, food scientist and chemistry teacher Rickard Öste was completing academic research on lactose intolerance. He knew that existing dairy alternatives were not very appealing to most people. He also grew up in Sweden, which is the …

6 Ways to Create Positive Word of Mouth Advertising

Even with the myriad ways to market and advertise your product today, word of mouth is still the best, most reliable way to attract new business. It’s also one of the toughest to create, which is why any business trying to inspire good word of mouth can use some advice regarding the most effective ways to do it. In theory the concept seems somewhat simple but getting current customers to tell other people about your product or service does take some time to naturally happen. Here are 6 pointers that can help you get people talking about your product or service. Some you may already be using, but even if that’s the case, we’re also going to describe the best way to go about them. 1. Excellent Customer Service There’s a reason that this one is at the top of the list because it’s the single most …

How to Ensure Your Remote Employees Are Being Productive

Managing a remote team is tough. It’s even tougher if you’re used to everybody working in the office where you can manage by walking around, pop by people’s desks for informal checkups, and keep your finger on the pulse of your team. But when the whole staff has gone into work-from-home mode, you miss out on that valuable water cooler effect. In a remote setting, business owners carry two burdens — their own work and their team’s performance. It can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to navigate the remote working environment when you are taking on both responsibilities in a new setting. If some of your team members have never worked from home before, they may not know how to stay focused, manage their time, or communicate with others. That’s why you have to be intentional when managing a remote team. You’ll need to make sure your employees …

Clubhouse: How the Audio-Chat App Founders Created a Hit

With a constant stream of social media apps, it can be hard to keep track of the latest rival to Twitter or Facebook. One app that has managed to stand out from the pack is Clubhouse. The audio-based chat app has quickly captured people’s attention, including some of the most powerful tech gurus and world leaders. Elon Musk recently invited Vladimir Putin to a clubhouse chat. The app launched in April 2020 during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. By summer, it was valued at $100 million and had just 1,500 users. By the end of January, it was worth over $1 billion and had attracted over two million users. As it prepares to launch support for Android devices, Clubhouse is expected to dramatically increase its user count. So, who’s behind the latest chat app? Clubhouse is the brainchild of Paul Davison and Rohan Seth. Here’s the story …

How to Prepare Your Business for Tax Season

Tax season can be a stressful time for business owners.. and even more so if you don’t have any help to pull all of your information together. Probably the most important point is to make sure you have all your ‘ducks in a row’ as early in the year as possible. There are many things you should keep in mind this year, as the pandemic has posed many challenges for some. Things such as PPP loans that were offered or certain loses you incurred, all are specifics to give thought to. No business owner is obviously particularly thrilled about tax season. It’s just an unfortunate part of the job that has to get done one way or another, hopefully with the help of an accountant, if you can afford one. We find it can be helpful to have a light list of points to remember during tax season. So …

7 Most Common Blunders Made by New Small Businesses

Small businesses seem to pop up like weeds these days, but that doesn’t automatically mean that all of the owners know what they’re doing. There is also a large portion of them who have zero experience with running a business, or who have the necessary skills for making it successful, like marketing, promotion, leading a team, bookkeeping, and many other skills. This is a recipe for a scenario wherein a lot of mistakes can be made—sometimes, very costly mistakes. If you’re starting a business, then do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to look over these very common mistakes that new owners make. There’s no need to feel bad about it when you make a mistake such as the ones we’re going to cite here because we all learn as we go. You might just be able to avoid setbacks and cultivate success for your company much …

Working Remotely: Business Owners Guide to Telecommuting

Working remotely has become a necessity for business owners around the world. Lockdowns have shuttered the doors to millions of businesses, forcing many to adopt teleworking policies. While telecommuting offers many advantages, from flexible scheduling to increased productivity, it also comes with many challenges. Maintaining communication & work relations becomes more of a chore outside of the office. You may even notice a loss of work culture. As the pandemic continues to impact the way we live and work, every business owner should take the time to review their telecommuting policies. Use the following guide to address the challenges of working remotely and reap the benefits! Set a Work Schedule The most important rule for working from home is to set a work schedule. Without a schedule, it becomes much easier to put off work for an hour or two in the morning or at any point during …

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