6 Ways You Could Seriously Mess up Invoice Factoring

After reading about all the benefits of invoice factoring for small business, you have decided to give this financing option a shot.

You fit all the qualifications required by most factors. That is, you are a business-to-business (B2B) or a business-to-government (B2G) concern. You have been in business for a few years. And you have plenty of reliable clients. What could go wrong?

As it turns out, there is plenty that could go wrong. If you don’t know how invoice factoring can harm you, you might be careless enough to make some serious mistakes. What’s more, these errors could jeopardize the stability of your business.

Before you begin invoice factoring, therefore, learn about some of the worst blunders to avoid. We clue you in here so your business can enjoy a strong cash flow for years to come.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SMALL BUSINESS—EVEN ON A LIMITED BUDGET

 

1. Confusing Factoring and Financing

Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, factoring and financing are not identical financial products.

Invoice factoring is the sale of your unpaid invoices to a third party. This party usually assumes responsibility for obtaining payment from your clients. Meanwhile, invoice or accounts receivable financing is a loan that uses your invoices or accounts receivable as collateral.

With financing, you are still responsible for collecting your clients’ payments. Additionally, you must pay back the money you received from the lender. Both factoring and financing are financial products marketed to help businesses with cash flow troubles, but factoring is the option with less risk.

 

 

2. Misunderstanding Invoices

An invoice is a specific type of document. It details a list of products or services the business provided and informs customers of costs due.

Not all businesses use invoices to accept payments. For example, retail stores charge for products before customers obtain products.

Some businesses misunderstand or misidentify invoices and attempt to factor purchase orders or other types of payment-related documents. However, purchase orders consist of products or services that have not yet been delivered, and they will not factor. It is a waste of time for both you and your factor to attempt to factor anything besides invoices.

 

3. Skipping the Fine Print

Factoring is often described as a sale of your invoices. In fact, we just did that a paragraph ago. However, the truth is that the transaction is much more complex.

To be more specific, there are rules regarding the creditworthiness of your clients, deadlines for payments, and rates regarding the money you can take in advance. All these critical details will be present in the contract you sign with your factor. Therefore, you must read and understand all of these rules before you enter into the agreement.

Failure to comprehend your contract does not make it null. You will still be responsible for any fees and penalties you incur even if you didn’t acknowledge them.

 

 

4. Misdirecting Payments

There are few factoring arrangements where you are responsible for collecting your clients’ payments and forwarding them to your factor. That situation is rare. Instead, most factoring companies demand that payments be sent directly to them. In this way, they know for certain when payments arrived and that they arrived in full.

Therefore, as soon as you make an agreement with a factor, you must inform affected clients that they should make all of their future payments to the factor or to the factor’s bank. If you make this mistake it could cost you a few fines. What’s more, it will also damage your relationship with your factor. This could potentially hurt your future rates or even lead to a termination of the relationship.

 

5. Forgetting Time Commitments

Invoice factoring is one of the speediest ways to improve your cash flow. However, but strong arrangements don’t emerge immediately.

Because invoicing is a complex system, you will need to complete extensive amounts of paperwork before you benefit from factoring. While this isn’t necessarily a hard-dollar cost, it is an important cost that you should take into consideration.

 

6. Depending on Invoice Factoring Alone

Factoring alone isn’t going to save your business. Granted, it is an incredibly useful tool, especially for businesses that experience regular cash flow imbalances. However, it isn’t a cure-all when it comes to business financial woes.

If your business is struggling financially, factoring might be able to help. However, you should also consider acquiring more substantial forms of funding. For example, consider such solutions as SBA loans, bank loans, lines of credit, and others. Then, once your business becomes stronger, you can consider utilizing invoice factoring for fast cash to get ahead.

The post 6 Ways You Could Seriously Mess up Invoice Factoring appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/30/invoice-factoring-mistakes/

4 Ways to Boost the Security of Your Warehousing Facility in 2018

What matters more, the security of your warehousing facility or its productivity? Both matter equally, right?

Unfortunately, most business owners neglect basic warehouse security in favor of marginal profits. That is a mistake. An unexpected breakdown of a conveyor, a defective crane, a sudden robbery—all these scenarios can put everyday operations in disarray.

What’s more, disruptions such as these can result in order fulfillment delays or an increase in production hours. Further, they translate into lost deals and lost customers. What’s worse, though, is that they also represent hazards that endanger both the facility and its personnel.

Therefore, security procedures for your warehousing facility should be at the top of your priority list. Below, we’ve highlighted some measures to help you keep your warehouse secure and functioning at all times.

 

1. Commercial Fencing

Use commercial fencing to build security enclosures around items or areas that would otherwise remain exposed. Further, a commercial fence can keep personnel from wandering into sensitive or dangerous locations.

Today, business owners have unique options, such as Advanced Concrete Fence Forming Technology from AFTEC LLC. Fences with this type of technology are designed for versatility, safety, and efficiency. What’s more, their design is based on years of experience.

Additionally, they minimize handling, manufacturing, and installation labor. This leads to a reduction in turnaround time while ensuring a highly secure assembly process.

 

 

2. Pest Control

With multiple windows and big doors, a warehouse is an easy target for pests. Mice, rats, cockroaches, and other insects enter a warehousing facility in search of shelter and food. However, if neglected, they can infest your goods, destroy employees’ apparel, and even hamper daily production.

Therefore, it’s important to conduct routine site inspections. Additionally, collaborate with pest control service providers for a healthy warehouse.

Also, use ultrasonic repellents to prevent insects from encroaching upon your facility in the first place. Finally, rearrange inventory periodically to make it challenging for vermin to get settled. That’s because pests shy away from environments where there is a lot of noise and activity.

 

3. Motion Detection

Motion detection technology is widely regarded as the backbone of advanced security systems. That’s because it is capable of recognizing if someone is on your premises.

Motion detection alerts the user when a sensor gets tripped by an individual’s movement. This sends a signal to the security system’s control panel.

In a warehousing facility, it can detect if someone who doesn’t have authorized access is trying to sneak in. A reputable security system company will offer a central monitoring system that functions around the clock, every day of the week. This will ensure continuous safety of your warehouse.

 

4. Safety Amenities

Make modifications to your warehouse’s design to ensure it’s as safe as possible. Changes should involve safety amenities that keep both goods and personnel safe.

For instance, you can position bright lights throughout your space to offer clear vision whenever staffers are working. Further, install ergonomic equipment and workstations to minimize turning, bending, lifting, and other strained positions. This will reduce the risk of physical injuries.

Moreover, make the warehouse more accessible. Do this by working with architecture specialists to design separate lanes for pedestrians and forklifts. This will separate both forms of traffic, which is key to reducing falling loads and avoiding collisions.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: IS YOUR WAREHOUSE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO TRANSPORT VEHICLES?

 

Conclusion

Hopefully, these measures will help you get started as you move forward. Use them to identify ways to ensure optimal security in your warehousing facility.

The post 4 Ways to Boost the Security of Your Warehousing Facility in 2018 appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/26/security-warehousing-facility/

Get Bankruptcy Help and Invite More Peace of Mind

Has building your business left you with a heavy burden of debt? As a matter of fact, do you find your debts overwhelming? Do you owe more than you can possibly expect to repay in your lifetime? If so, the thought of getting bankruptcy help has probably crossed your mind more than once.

You may feel reluctant to take such a step. However, the good news is that there are some online financial assistance companies who offer you bankruptcy help. Their services can help you to lower your monthly payments.

All you have to do is visit their website and see if you are eligible for their help. If you qualify, you can lower your debt. This step will give you some relief from the pressure you have been feeling and give you more peace of mind. Here, we discuss some of the pros and cons of bankruptcy.

 

Find Freedom from Debt: The Bankruptcy Solution

If you are unable to pay back your debts in the allocated time, interest rates can skyrocket. What’s more, additional fees can drive your total debt even higher. Ever-increasing monthly payments make it harder and harder for you to pay your creditors.

When this happens, you have the right to opt for a debt solution which is legally binding to all parties. This solution is bankruptcy, and it could represent a chance for you to become financially stable.

For people in the United Kingdom as well as for people in many other places in the world, bankruptcy is a formal insolvency procedure. However, you have to be qualified for this option. Therefore, look for a reliable financial assistance company that provides help services for bankruptcies. Visit their website to see if you are eligible for being declared as bankrupt or not.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR PAYING OFF OUT-OF-CONTROL DEBT

 

How Does Bankruptcy Work?

In the United Kingdom, bankruptcy works in either of two ways. That is, you yourself can apply for it, or your creditor can file a petition that will declare you bankrupt.

If you are applying on your own behalf, then you might find the application fee of more than £650 expensive. However, if you choose to apply, you send your application to The Insolvency Service. This is basically the governing body of insolvencies in the United Kingdom.

In some areas of the UK, however, the High Court handles these applications.

Basically, when you are declared bankrupt, your valuable assets are sold so that you can pay back the amount you borrowed from your creditors. Moreover, you will have to pay some monthly amount toward your debts. Usually, the arrangement lasts for a year. After that time, all of your outstanding debt is written off.

 

 

What Are the Effects and Significance of Bankruptcy?

If you declare bankruptcy, you can begin rebuilding your financial stability. On the other hand, a bankruptcy can adversely affect your business and your career.

For example, a person who is declared bankrupt in the UK cannot direct a company. Additionally, if you have a mortgage, then the arrangement will include your mortgage loan. Further, as a penalty for your outstanding debts, you will have to surrender the property.

In other countries, the implications may vary. However, no matter where in the world you live, filing for bankruptcy can have long-term effects.

On the other hand, after your bankruptcy application is approved, then it is illegal for your creditors to contact you about your debt. They will be unable to take any further legal action for recovering the debt.

Therefore, if you’re considering bankruptcy, there are a number of different things you need to think about. Think it through thoroughly. Then, if you think it’s a good idea for you, contact a good bankruptcy help service provider.

The post Get Bankruptcy Help and Invite More Peace of Mind appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/24/bankruptcy-help-peace-mind/

3 Easy Tips for Improving Your Instagram Marketing

Today, there are multiple digital apps, and many of them have millions of users. For instance, if you do any Instagram marketing, you’re competing for the attention of more than 600 million users.

Most of these users take the time to go through their Instagram news feed every day. What’s more, many of them take the extra step of regularly liking and commenting on the posts they see as well.

In short, more and more people are engaging with their favorite brands and services on Instagram. Therefore, so that your Instagram marketing can be truly effective, your business needs to have a strong presence on that platform. When it does, you will be able to actively engage with your audience and amplify their awareness of your brands.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: IS YOUR COMPANY’S SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE LETTING YOU DOWN?

 

Tips for Improving Your Instagram Marketing

As we just mentioned, using Instagram to engage with your audience is a good social media strategy. This is especially true in this era, in which many people spend a good bit of their time on their phones. More specifically, people spend time on social media platforms such as Instagram. Here are some tips to improve your marketing on the Instagram platform:

 

1. Take Advantage of Instagram Tools

Today, you’ll find many Instagram tools available. These tools will help you to improve your productivity and efficiency when you’re marketing your products and services. Take advantage of photo filter options to improve the appearance of your posts, for example. Also, make use of analytics that will help you to schedule your posts for specific times when more Instagram users are likely to stumble upon them.

To take things a step further, you might wonder whether you should buy Instagram comments. Of course you could, just to get things started.

However, from more organic comments you will learn which aspects of your business your audience likes or dislikes. At the end of the day, you will know where to make changes and where to stay the course. This alone with help you to improve your Instagram marketing.

 

 

2. Create Instagram Contests

While promoting your products or services with your Instagram marketing, incorporate a few fun activities that your audience can engage in. For example, create contests to generate buzz around your product, therefore reaching more people. Contests are generally easy to execute, depending on the services you offer.

For instance, you could organize a selfie photo contest. Simply ask people to drop a selfie that shows them using your products or services. In exchange, they’ll get a chance to win a gift. Such a contest will keep them engaged, as each one tries to outdo everyone else. In short, you will have marketed your product while keeping your audience entertained and engaged.

 

3. Use Relevant Hashtags

Hashtags and Instagram marketing go hand in hand.

Hashtags allow people to locate you easily, especially if you make sure to use hashtags that are unique to your account.

Keep in mind, though, that your hashtags must be easy on the eye. That’s because it’s important that they be appealing and that viewers notice them quickly.

Again, having the right tools will help you to generate relevant hashtags with good ratings, which will bring more traffic to your account.

 

Conclusion

Instagram is increasingly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of social media.

Its 600 million users represent a wide-open opportunity for you to build your brand and improve your Instagram marketing through your own followers. All you need are the right tools, relevant hashtags, and engaging content.

The post 3 Easy Tips for Improving Your Instagram Marketing appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/24/improving-instagram-marketing/

The Importance of Building up Your Business with Great Online Reviews

When you start a business, customer satisfaction is one of the main things you should be striving to attain. Obviously, you want to do well for your customers and have them appreciate the work that you do for them. What’s more, you want to delight them with the services or products you provide. More than that, you should also realize that a customer who takes the time to give you a positive review in some kind of online forum is doing much of your marketing work for you. That’s because online reviews can really boost your business.

We live in a society where everything is up for criticism and praise. Moreover, the internet makes it increasingly easy for everyone to weigh in on just about every aspect of modern life. Many people make their choices by visiting sites that aggregate online reviews. Take, for example, the way that Gazblogs.com can inform you of all of the best men’s grooming products and much more. When you can make it onto a site like that with your business, the positive feedback will be a boon that you can’t possibly achieve in any other manner. Here are some of the reasons why.

 

Remember the Trust Factor

When there are so many competing businesses trying to gain the attention and trust of the buying public, consumers are now savvy enough to know when a marketing pitch isn’t really being backed up by any significant research or facts. As a result, customers tend to rely on each other more than they do the businesses in question for finding out the products and services that they’ll like most. And they achieve this by looking at online reviews.

 

 

Get the Ball Rolling

What you’ll find when you get some positive online reviews is that it won’t be long before more are forthcoming. The momentum picks up the more reviews that you garner. That’s because you’ll show up in more search engines as this feedback grows. As a result, an initial snowball or two can start an avalanche.

 

Take a Proactive Approach with Online Reviews

You might think as a business owner that you can sit back and let these reviews simply start rolling in. But you need to think of it as a marketing initiative to go out and seek reviews. Find the sites that post reviews of businesses like yours and submit your business to be included. You can leave a call to action for your customers with the link to the review sites so that it’s easy for them to leave their thoughts.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: GETTING THE POSITIVE REVIEWS YOU NEED FOR YOUR BUSINESS

 

Don’t Sweat the Negative

Many people fear what a bad review can do. But you have to trust in your business that it will overcome a few people who have axes to grind. Do the best that you can to ensure that your customers walk away satisfied and happy, and those negative reviews will certainly be kept to a minimum while the positive ones pile up.

Online reviews are crucial, especially for a business trying to establish itself in a crowded market. Embrace them and court them, and your business will benefit in the long run.

The post The Importance of Building up Your Business with Great Online Reviews appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/24/building-business-online-reviews/

Identity Verification: Knowing Your Customers Are Who They Claim to Be

Both businesses and consumers fall victim to Internet fraud schemes in increasing numbers every day. For this reason, companies are turning to identity verification solutions. In other words, businesses both large and small are becoming intent upon authenticating their customers.

According to the FBI, online thieves steal millions of dollars from their victims every year. Therefore, it’s essential for businesses to protect not only themselves but also their customers.

Here are several reasons why companies should include identity verification on their website.

 

Identity Verification Combats Online Fraud

The change from magnetic strips on credit cards to computer chips has done a lot to reduce instances of fraud at the retail level. However, this technological advancement has done nothing to help online businesses. And it’s important to note that online fraudulent transactions are expected to exceed $6 billion over the next year.

For smaller firms, fraud can be an even bigger problem than it is for larger companies. That’s because smaller companies just aren’t able to absorb the costs associated with fraud. However, by having a system in place, you can establish proof that your customers are real. This helps to reduce fraud and its associated costs significantly.

 

It Improves Online Ordering

Online shopping has become extremely popular. In fact, according to data gathered by Statista, an estimated 224 million people in the United States will be online shoppers by 2019. Numbers like this can mean a big surge in sales for your company. How will you handle the increase in volume?

Add identity verification solutions to your website, and you will significantly streamline the ordering process. This alone will reduce the chances of costly mistakes.

What’s more, identity verification can simplify the checkout process. This is important because customers often become frustrated by complex checkout systems. As a result, they abandon nearly 70 percent of shopping carts before completing their purchase. However, robust authentication will give you fewer abandoned carts and more sales.

Identification verification systems can also help you to reduce shipping errors. Shipping errors cost companies money. To make matters worse, they also can cost your business its reputation as well.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: 4 WAYS SMALL BUSINESSES CAN IMPROVE THEIR CYBER SECURITY STRATEGIES

 

It Makes Mobile Transactions Safer

Mobile phones are an increasingly popular way to shop online. This fact makes identity verification even more critical.

The last thing your mobile customers want to do is spend time entering their information into your website from their phones. Consumers are also concerned with making sure that their data is protected while they’re using their mobile devices. Both of these issues can be resolved with identity verification systems.

As these kinds of systems become standard for mobile transactions, customers are going to come to expect them. This will be true regardless of the size of the company they are purchasing from.

 

 

It Helps You to Remain Compliant with Regulations

Federal and local governments require online transactions to comply with specific applicable laws.

For example, some products that businesses sell online require consumers to be at least a certain age. Additionally, you must report other products and services to certain governmental bodies such as the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

This is why it is so important for businesses to verify their customers’ identity. When you fail to do this, you jeopardize your business’s existence. What’s more, your business could also face costly legal ramifications.

 

Finally

Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, identity verification is important. It keeps both you and your customers protected. What’s more, it improves your company’s efficiency, which will in turn lead to an increase in your profits.

The post Identity Verification: Knowing Your Customers Are Who They Claim to Be appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/24/identity-verification/

Now Continues to Be an Excellent Time to Invest in Ecommerce

If you haven’t noticed, ecommerce is taking the world by storm, and with good reason. The industry is well established, but it also continues to be quite innovative.

For example, there are a handful of big players like Amazon and eBay. However, there is still plenty of room for small business startups. The bottom line? It’s a good time to invest in ecommerce.

 

Beefing up the Basics

Before we dive into how to find investors for your ecommerce company, let’s cover some of the basics. For instance, you’ll need to know how to build a site and how to market yourself. Luckily, tackling both of these projects is easy, thanks to the Internet.

It used to be that you had to build your e-store from scratch. This wasn’t a simple process. Therefore, most folks had to hire a web developer or they had to spend a lot of energy doing it themselves.

Today it’s totally different. E-store entrepreneurs can build plug-and-play stores using cloud-based ecommerce solutions. This means vendors can build an attractive site for a small monthly fee. What’s more, those sites come complete with the capability of processing payments. Additionally, owners can scale their stores with little to no effort.

Why is this so important? Well, most investors want to see that your store is already working before they put money in. Plus, it’s good to have some background in the industry before asking people to commit money to your business startup.

 

 

Marketing Is a Key Ingredient

Once you have your store built, you’ll have to entice customers to come spend their money with you. Despite that challenge, gone are the days when you’d have to spend bundles of cash to buy advertising space. Nowadays it’s as simple as setting up Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

Establishing your social media presence is an imperative for any ecommerce brand. It allows you to promote sales and product launches, obviously. But it should also be more than that. A good online marketer understands that social media should be a two-way conversation between the brand and its customers.

So feel free to have fun and by playful. Share memes on your page, or ask shoppers to post videos of themselves using your products. Have them tag friends or family in posts in exchange for entry into various contests. Social media offers infinite possibilities.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: THESE BUSINESS PEOPLE ARE OBSESSIVELY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO

 

Find Your Investors

Now that you have the skeleton of your ecommerce business, you can start inviting investors to pitch in.

Start by explaining the value proposition of your online retail store. What is your brand identity? Who is your target audience? How likely are they to buy from you? What is the return on investment (ROI) for your marketing initiatives, product sales, and so on? These are questions every investor will ask. Start practicing your answers early to avoid appearing dumbfounded or caught off-guard.

The next step is finding folks with capital to invest. While you can start by reaching out to friends or former colleagues, you may want to move onto something more serious down the line. AngelList connects startups with investors in an easy-to-manage online environment. Dozens of incubator programs do the same thing.

But that’s not all. Some investors host pitch contests, in which they invite business people to share their ideas. This has become more and more popular, thanks to television programs such as “Shark Tank.”

If you aren’t much of a “shark,” then enticing investors might not be for you. Still, you can ask people to fund your fledgling business through crowdfunding. (Not to be confused with crowdsourcing, which is a little different. But that can be the subject of another post.)

While critics might criticize this method as glorified cyber begging, nothing could be further from the truth. Crowdfunding shows the public is interested—even “invested”—in your brand.

So you see, now really is an excellent time to invest in ecommerce.

The post Now Continues to Be an Excellent Time to Invest in Ecommerce appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/21/invest-ecommerce/

How to Make Money in the Restaurant Business: 10 Valuable Strategies

Regardless of your operation’s size, type or location, turning a profit in the restaurant business is always a challenge. That’s because you have to stay on top of everything from inventory and staff scheduling to marketing and menu design. Therefore, knowing how to make money in the restaurant business comes from knowing how to manage it all.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: 7 SKILLS YOU SIMPLY MUST HAVE TO SUCCEED AS A RESTAURANT MANAGER

 

10 Strategies That Make a Restaurant Profitable

You understand what does and doesn’t work. However, every restaurant owner and manager can use a fresh overview. Consider these 10 money-making tips for all types of food service operations.

 

1. Let Professionals Handle Your Marketing

Do you cater to all demographics in a fast, casual atmosphere? Or do guests choose your location for its white tablecloth service?

You know your customers. However, connecting with them takes a unique skill set. Therefore, outsource your marketing to professionals. They know how to promote your restaurant in print, online and across social media channels.

 

2. Make Your Website Work for You

When potential customers visit your website, satisfy their online appetites. Give them quick-click access to menus. Entice them with your latest promotions. Engage them with content covering entertainment and points of interest in the area. Make your website work as an open invitation for new business and a familiar door for regulars.

 

3. Maintain a Social Media Presence

Good and bad things happen on social media. However, it’s your restaurant, so take responsibility for both.

Therefore, when someone posts a picture of your newest entree, come back with a thank you. Additionally, address review site compliments and complaints alike with a professional voice.

Your positive social media presence gives your restaurant a positive profile across all digital platforms. And that brings in business.

 

4. Get Better at Figuring Food Costs

As well as you understand food costs, get even better at crunching the numbers. Look for ways to improve inventory control and reduce product waste. Make sure your calculations don’t leave room for error and do allow for flexibility.

In short, know exactly how much you’re making on sales per shift, and pinpoint profits on promotions and discounts.

 

 

5. Source from the Very Best

Controlling food costs depends on high yield and minimum waste. Therefore, source quality ingredients from reputable suppliers with national reach like Boggiatto Produce.

Dealing with one vendor who consistently delivers premium products holds down costs. Further, it streamlines menu development that aligns per-serving costs with net profit targets.

 

6. Keep Menu Design Seasonal

Customers look forward to dining on favorite dishes that are only available once or twice a year. For this reason, menu entries designed around seasonal ingredients bring in business and ring up sales. This strategy also lets you take advantage of lower seasonal pricing, and that helps control food costs.

 

7. Power up with Business Software

In order to make money in the restaurant business, you have to track every dollar. Fortunately, there’s more than one app for that specifically developed for food service professionals.

Restaurant business software puts muscle in your POS system and helps manage tables.

From staff scheduling to accounting and analytics, restaurant management software helps you manage a stronger profit margin.

 

8. Invest in Quality Equipment

The cost of restaurant equipment failure can punch a hole in your bottom line that lasts for months. Therefore, buy the best you can afford. Then regularly schedule vendor maintenance.

Investing in quality equipment holds down the cost of routine repairs. And it heads off unexpected problems that can shut down your kitchen indefinitely.

 

9. Enlist Front and Back of House

Restaurant customers place a high value on good service. For this reason, make sure every member of you front-of-house staff understands the importance of meeting and exceeding those expectations.

On the other hand, first-time guests become regulars when the food is consistently good. Give back-of-house employees the support and training they need to keep customers coming back for more.

 

10. Contribute to the Community

When you give professional time to the community, you’re paid back in countless ways. Offer to direct healthy cooking classes for local organizations. Donate services, meals or cash to programs that address hunger issues.

Every contribution you make elevates your brand. And that’s good for business. It also gives you and your staff the opportunity to give back to the community that supports your restaurant. And that’s priceless ROI.

 

Position Yourself for Success in the Restaurant Business

It takes management skills, creative talent and endless patience to make a restaurant profitable. Stay on top of the latest technologies and ahead of the latest trends.

In addition, keep refreshing your overview of our ever-changing industry. In this way, you’ll always be positioned for long-term, money-making restaurant success.

The post How to Make Money in the Restaurant Business: 10 Valuable Strategies appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/21/restaurant-business-strategies/

5 Investments You Should Make When Starting a Business

When you own a business, you need to make certain investments so that your business can be as successful as possible.

That’s because investing in the right tools can make running your business easier. With the right tools, for instance, you can ensure that you’re tracking everything properly.

However, when they’re first starting out as a business owner, many people don’t know which tools are worth investing in and which they should avoid. Here are five smart choices:

 

1. Invest in Small Business Bookkeeping 

Owners need to account for every dime that comes into and out of the store. This ensures that the business wastes no money. It also lets you know which avenues are most lucrative.

Further, it allows you to focus your financial efforts where they will be most beneficial to the company. Therefore, hire professionals to handle your small business bookkeeping. Investments such as these will ensure that everything is accounted for and properly tracked.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS WITH TECHNOLOGY

 

2. Make Investments in Scheduling Software

When numerous employees work for a company, scheduling can be quite a hassle. All time slots need to be filled. Complicating matters, every employee needs to get enough hours to make their job worthwhile. Scheduling software helps to keep staffing needs adequate from day to day.

 

3. Invest in a Security System

A security system will protect your business from potential break-ins. Additionally, it will notify police and fire departments quickly in case of a potential problem.

Your security system can also be essential when it comes to managing employee safety and behavior. For example, you can watch the security cameras remotely to see if anyone is stealing or behaving inappropriately when they are left alone. The cameras will record everything, so you’ll be able to use the footage as evidence if necessary.

 

4. Invest in Inventory Tracking Software

Knowing how much of each item is available to sell is essential when you’re running a company. This is where inventory tracking software comes in.

It will help you as a seller to know what items are immediately available to customers. You will also know at a glance which products you need to order. It can help with your planning, too. That’s because you’ll be able to identify which items are best-sellers, as well as which ones are the worst selling.

 

5. Invest in Social Media Advertising

Marketing is an essential activity for business owners. What’s more, investments in social media advertising can pay off in spades.

That’s because social media is now one of the most popular forms of advertising. With it, you can reach so many people so affordably.

However, in order to make the most of your social media marketing, be sure to hire professional marketers who know how to create listings for all of your company’s social media outlets. Each outlet has specific rules and guidelines when it comes to advertising. A top-notch marketing firm will already know them all.

 

A New Twist on Celebrity Endorsements

This innovation has also generated a new level of celebrity endorsement. Having a popular star sell one’s product is a tried and true method for generating sales. However, social media platforms give this method a new twist.

The old school way for large corporations to use celebrity endorsements is to pay millions upon millions of dollars for a 30- or 60-second spot. The pinnacle of that type of advertising is the Superbowl. For instance, did you happen to see the 52nd incarnation? It had just over 103 million viewers. Once.

Contrast that with marketing on Instagram with a celebrity like Selena Gomez. This star rings up around 130 million followers every single time she posts. Any number of them might see a product she endorses at any given time.

When you consider social media marketing in this light, it becomes obvious that the way to sell a product has changed in big ways. Companies have to keep up or be left far behind. This is true whether the company is a small boutique or a mega-corporation.

 

 

Learn from the Mistakes and Successes of Others

It’s best to learn from others when you’re starting a business. Learning from others’ mistakes can help you to reduce the number of mistakes you make. Learning from others’ successes could help your company to be more prosperous.

Research what works and what doesn’t work for your particular niche. And make the investments in methods and tools that make the most sense for you.

The post 5 Investments You Should Make When Starting a Business appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/21/investments-starting-business/

Why Your Business Needs to Be More Interactive (and How to Do That)

In order to be successful in today’s world, every business needs to become more interactive.

When writing a business plan for a brick-and-mortar establishment, most entrepreneurs focus on profitability and work backward. They want to create a product or service that’s valuable to consumers. Then they seek to build an operation capable of supporting the circulation of those products or services.

This is a reasonable approach. However, with the threat of online businesses, today’s entrepreneurs need something more. Consumers could feasibly get anything you offer online for less money or with more convenience (in most cases).

One of the best solutions to this problem is to offer some level of interactivity. That is, give your customers an experience they can engage with. So how is this solution so effective? And how can you bring it to your existing business (or business idea)?

 

Why Interactivity Is Important

Let’s look at some of the key reasons interactivity can mitigate the threat of an online competitor and ultimately drive more foot traffic to your establishment:

• Online Interactivity Is Limited

Online stores can only do so much to give customers an interactive experience, since they’re limited by a screen. Interactive content marketing is growing to fill this void. However, it still can’t beat a hands-on interactive experience.

 

• Interactive Experiences Distinguish You

If you offer a more interactive experience when your competitors don’t, you’ll instantly become the preferred choice.

 

• Interactive Experiences Are Memorable

When a customer engages with a brand, they’ll remember the experience more clearly. What’s more, that memory will encourage them to become a repeat visitor. Or they will tell their friends and family about the experience. Ideally, they will do both.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: “GET RID OF THE CRAPPY STUFF” AND MODERNIZE YOUR BUSINESS

 

Key Examples of Interactive Businesses

Now, let’s look at examples of some businesses that have already taken the next step toward being more interactive.

Take, for example, Spyscape in New York City. This is an interactive museum that blends information and entertainment with hands-on exhibits and demonstrations. Most museums are passive experiences. However, this one encourages visitors to engage with the material they’re witnessing.

In the retail clothing space, customers have always been able to try on clothes in fitting rooms. This is its own kind of interactive experience.

However, Ralph Lauren has recently taken this experience to the next level. The brand has introduced touch-screen mirrors in their fitting rooms. These special mirrors help customers visualize themselves with alternative styles or colors.

Tech retailers are also getting in on the action. For example, Samsung has recently opened Samsung 837. This is Samsung’s flagship store built around interactive customer experiences.

It isn’t a place where you can buy products. Instead, it’s a place for you to engage with the brand. There’s a DJ and interactive digital screens with impressive apps to show off their functionality. There’s even a smart kitchen to explore.

 

How to Transform Your Business to Become More Interactive

Now, let’s focus on practical takeaways. What can you do to make your business more interactive?

• Invest in Tech

We’ll start with the most expensive strategies and work our way toward more affordable ones.

Your first option is to invest in more high-tech installations throughout your business. This might be augmented reality (AR) apps that help customers make purchasing decisions. Or it could be digital screens that help them navigate the store. Bridging the gap between online and offline shopping is going to be the future of retail.

 

• Make Each Customer Experience Unique

Add enough interactive features, and enough variability within those features, that every customer’s experience is unique. For example, you could offer dozens of different possibilities in your product selection app. Or you might offer your customers one of a dozen different seating options.

 

 

• Add Character to Your Building

Make the exterior and interior of your building stand out as unique. To do this, add extra colors, installations, or structural features that play into your brand image. This will provide a more immersive, characteristic experience, especially if those installations lend themselves to interactivity.

 

• Train Your Staff to Engage with Your Customers

This is a change any business can make. What’s more, it can transform the way customers perceive your brand and their experiences with it.

Train your staff to truly engage with your customers. Make sure each customer has a pleasant, unique, and memorable experience at your location. Often, all it takes is a sincere conversation and a few moments of personal interaction to make the difference.

 

Incorporate Interactivity into Your Current Business Model

You don’t have to radically change your business model to incorporate elements of interactivity into your business. Any interactive features you add have the potential to change how your business is received by your customers.

Make the effort to add these layers of engagement. Becoming more interactive can guard you against online threats. Plus, it will help your business to win a greater share of customer loyalty at the same time.

The post Why Your Business Needs to Be More Interactive (and How to Do That) appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/21/business-more-interactive/

Make the Most of Your Small Business—Even on a Limited Budget

Most owners of new small businesses start out with a limited budget. Is this true for you?

If this is so for you, don’t lose heart. Despite the fact that you might be strapped for cash, you don’t have to let your limited budget dictate your eventual overall success. You can still find ways to promote your business and help it to grow.

Here, we take a good look at how you can make the most of your small business, even on a limited budget.

 

Invest in the Long Term

You’re most likely operating on a shoestring budget in the beginning phases of your small business. However, you should nonetheless aim to ensure that you are investing in the future from the start.

To that end, make sure that you have the type of insurance coverage that’s best for your business. In this way, you will have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that your business is protected, even if someone should bring a claim against you in the future.

Therefore, stick to your industry when you choose insurance for your business. For example, if you are operating a cleaning business, opt for cleaner insurance. Likewise, if you’re a tradesperson, choose insurance specifically for your trade.

Having the appropriate insurance will financially benefit your company. That’s because you won’t have to pay out large sums of money if you are found liable in a court case. Additionally, it can help to make your business appear more credible. In fact, if you are a tradesperson or a cleaner, many people will not sign a contract with you unless you are fully insured.

 

 

Focus on Customer Service

Customer service is important no matter which industry you are in. And you can always find ways to provide excellent customer service, even on a limited budget.

Good customer service depends on understanding your customers’ needs and requirements. Learn to adapt quickly in order to meet those needs. This is a key step for generating valuable word-of-mouth marketing about your business.

According to a survey conducted by American Express, 78% of consumers will cancel or abandon a purchase if they have experienced poor customer service. However, providing good levels of customer service doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.

Make excellent customer service a big part of your small business mentality. It will help to generate a loyal customer base who will return to your business again and again.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: WHY QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE ALWAYS STARTS WITH A SMILE

 

Build an Online Presence

Building an online presence doesn’t have to be an expensive affair. That’s because most social media platforms are still free to set up and manage organically.

This allows you to generate a buzz about your brand. It also gives you the opportunity to place your business in front of a much larger audience. This is key to increasing sales and building up a strong brand reputation.

 

Keep Updating Your Business Plan

Naturally, you kicked off your small business with a solid business plan. All the same, it’s important to continually update your business plan. This will help to ensure that your business ideas remain up-to-date as the market changes.

In addition, updating your business plan will allow your business to adapt so as to provide the services your current demographic is asking for.

Further, regular updates will encourage you to look closely into how your business can expand. They will also inspire you to set long-term goals as you enjoy your short-term successes. In short, they will aid you in setting your business up for success in the long run.

The post Make the Most of Your Small Business—Even on a Limited Budget appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/21/small-business-limited-budget/

Key Man Life Insurance: Why Your Small Business Needs It

Key man life insurance is, to put it simply, life insurance that’s placed on a key person by a business. It protects the business from financial loss in case of the death of the key person.

The main difference between a traditional life insurance policy and a key man life insurance policy is that in a key man insurance policy the business is the owner, payer, and beneficiary of the plan.

 

Do You Need Key Man Life Insurance?

When you start a small business or are self-employed, you are the key man—even if you’re a woman.

You may have investors such as family and friends who would be financially affected if you were to die before they saw a return on their investment.

That’s because when you start a small business, you wear all of the hats. You’re the:

• CEO
• President
• Vice President
• HR
• Accounting
• Marketing
• SEO
• Compliance

In short, for anything your business requires, you are the person in charge. And if you die without key man life insurance, it all goes away. Your business would not be able to pay off any vendors you might owe money to. Your heirs would have to choose between trying to keep your business going without you or closing it out, hopefully without incurring additional debt.

That’s why, generally speaking, if you run a small business, you should have key man insurance.

 

 

An Extra Layer of Protection for Your Employees

Hiring your first employee is scary, exciting, confusing, and fun all at the same time.

You are now in the process of expanding your business. At the same time, you’re taking on financial responsibility for others. It’s a great feeling to hire someone and watch them grow along with your business.

However, if you should pass away without a key man life insurance policy, you would put your employees in the position of becoming unemployed without warning. Not only will they need to deal with your death, but they will also have to deal with losing their job and facing financial hardship.

If you get a key person insurance policy, however, it would cover payroll and a severance package for any employees you might leave behind.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: 4 REASONS WHY EVERY ENTREPRENEUR NEEDS BUSINESS HEALTH INSURANCE

 

How Much Does It Cost?

Getting quotes for key man life insurance is as simple as getting quotes for personal insurance. What’s more, you won’t see a difference in rates between a key man policy instead of a personal policy.

For example, on average, a 40-year-old healthy male can get $1 million in coverage for 20 years at around $58 per month. Therefore, it’s surprising that only about 22% of businesses have key man insurance.

One of the main reasons people shy away from any life insurance policy is that they overestimate the cost of it. However, once they have gotten a quote, their outlook completely changes.

 

How Much Do You Need?

Each business is different when it comes to determining how much key man life insurance you need. Generally, experts recommend purchasing about 20 times their annual income for a life insurance policy. For a key man life insurance policy, however, you should purchase a policy that’s worth at least twice what your business is worth on paper.

Determine how long it would take your business to survive until your heirs could find a replacement for you. Also include factors such as covering 12 months of payroll or 1 year of rent if you have an office space.

Once you have calculated how much coverage you need, shop around to find the most affordable rates.

 

How to Take Action

The easiest way to get started is to get a few term life insurance quotes without giving away any of your personal information. Therefore, your first approach should be to go through this part of the process online.

That’s because you need to get an idea of the costs for the coverage you need. Then, once you have a general idea, you can reach out to an agent to assist you.

Throughout your search, keep in mind that you are the beating heart of your business until it’s strong enough to function on its own. During this fragile stage of your business, a key man life insurance policy is protection you need for your business.

The post Key Man Life Insurance: Why Your Small Business Needs It appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/15/key-man-life-insurance/

Blogging: Things You Need to Know About It Before You Start

A few years ago, if you told people you were blogging, you would often be met with a blank look. Or one that clearly asked, “So, when are you going to get a real job?”

However, things have changed since then. Blogging has become a lucrative occupation. As a matter of fact, some people earn as much as $30,000 a month with a blog. With figures like this, it’s easy to understand why many people are looking for more information on how to create a blog.

 

What Is Blogging?

In case you have no idea what blogging is, let’s start by giving a definition. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) defines a blog simply as an online personal diary. A blog contains the blogger’s opinions and thoughts on various elements of life. The name “blog” is a shortening of the words “web log.”

 

The Difference Between a Website and Blog

Is there a difference between a blog and a website? Indeed there is. A blog is different from a website chiefly in that a blog gets updated more frequently than a website.

Websites tend to be mostly formal in their approach. They are usually used by businesses that want to maintain a formal relationship with their customers. Blogs, on the other hand, are more casual. Since bloggers mostly want to interact with their audiences, they usually take a conversational approach that invites engagement.

Another difference lies in the content. Websites mostly communicate about services and goods. A website generally aims at inviting the customer to purchase something or support a given cause.

On the other hand, blogs seek to encourage interaction. The purpose of a blog might be for the reader to take a certain action or think in a particular manner after reading the content. However, blogs do not explicitly make this clear in the way that websites do.

 

 

Why Blogging Has Become Popular

People generally perceive formal communication as boring. When they must consume it, they often do so grudgingly. However, the informal nature of blogging makes consuming content on blogs more enjoyable.

The ability to comment and become part of the action is another reason why readers are attracted to blogs. The nature of blogs is that they bring the human element into the content. This can make readers feel connected to it.

What’s more, blogging has become a method of making money. However, no one can pretend that just starting a blog would start the money flowing into your bank account. Like everything else in life, you have to put in the work and have a strategy before you can expect any returns.

 

Where to Create a Blog

So maybe now that we’ve had this little chat, you might be looking for ways to start a blog yourself.

Today, it’s easier than ever to create a blog. To begin with, there are a number of different platforms you can choose from. What’s more, they all have themes you can start with.

You can be creating content in hardly any time at all. Further, you don’t need to have technical expertise, either. With the right platform, this will have already been done for you.

Some of the most popular sites where you can create your blog include:

• Ning
• Blogger
• Wix
• WordPress
• Joomla

 

How to Set up a Blog

Once you find the blogging platform that best suits you, you will need some basic knowledge of how to set up a blog. This can vary a bit from site to site. However, you will basically need to do the following:

 

Choose a Name

Your blog’s name should tell your readers what your blog is about. Remember to make it specific.

 

Go Online

Create an account on the blogging site you have chosen. Alternatively, you could create a completely new site that will become your own place for blogging.

 

Select a Design

Choose the template you prefer, or design your blog yourself. Most of the platforms make this easy for you, as they offer convenient drag-and-drop plugins. These make the designing of your blog easy.

 

Publish

Create content and publish. Remember that the content needs to be useful as well as entertaining. Plus, you need to target it toward a particular audience.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: BLOGGER OUTREACH: WHAT CAN IT DO FOR YOU?

 

Making Money from Your Blog

Before you even start to think about technical stuff like Google AdWords, you will need to ensure that your blog is properly marketed. That’s because, for blogs, readers are currency. The more readers you have, the more businesses will want to advertise their goods on your blog.

Once you have the readers, you can make money in a variety of ways, including sponsored posts, links to other sites, giveaways and competitions, as well as plenty of other ways. You’ll be limited only by your imagination.

The post Blogging: Things You Need to Know About It Before You Start appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/15/know-blogging-start/

How Much Money Can You Save by Starting a Home-Based Business?

Starting a home-based business is one of the best ways to save money. Imagine being able to save on expensive office space, the commute to the office, and all the other bills that come with having a job or running a business outside of your home.

Once you act on your business ideas you can get creative with how you save money by running a home-based business.

Here are some easy ways in which setting up a home-based business can save a lot of money. So get ready to trade the office for the sofa.

 

$2000-$3000 on Commutes

The main advantage of running a business from home is you’ll save a lot of money on simply not having to travel to the office. Think about how much you spend on gas just going to and from work every year.

If you must travel for one hour every day that amounts to hundreds of dollars every year.

So how much can you realistically save?

Let’s say you travel 20 or more miles to work. Working from home could save you anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 every year.  This number doesn’t even factor in E-Z Pass or wear and tear to your car.

You may still have to travel to meet clients, even when running a business from home. But regardless of whether you’re a freelancer or a small business, you can file your gas expenses as a tax write-off.

 

 

Thousands on Wear and Tear for Your Car

Another way a home-based business can save you money is your car will eat up fewer miles. General wear and tear on your car can’t be avoided, but it can be reduced simply by driving less.

Major repairs can run into thousands of dollars.

 

Up to $2000 on Clothes

Even the most casual workplaces likely don’t allow you to throw on a t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants. Run a home-based business and that’s your new uniform.

Believe it or not, even corporate offices won’t give you an allowance to buy formal clothing. That must come out of your pocket.

For example, the average American woman spends a little over $1900 per month on clothing, and this doesn’t include work clothes. If you work in an industry that requires a specific uniform, you are looking at spending more, which is also coming out of your salary. While it’s true that you can claim a tax write-off, you’re not getting 100% of your money back, and you must wait for months to get a portion of your money back after your purchase.

The point is when you start a startup, you won’t have to purchase as many clothes, and you could possibly triple your current salary.

 

Up to $2000 on Lunch (Not Including Coffee)

The average American worker spends $1,100 a year on coffee and $2,000 a year on lunch. There are so many people who prefer to purchase their lunch rather than pack it at home. Honestly, who can blame them when you factor in families, children, long work hours, and the like?

This is not an expense you can simply eliminate by working from home. You need to eat. But now you’re not compelled to buy overpriced food at a deli in the heart of the city. Now you can cook to save money. Plus, there’s the added benefit of making it easier to be healthy and regain control of your health.

There’s also no need to pay $5 per cup of coffee from Starbucks. Instead, you can just invest in a Keurig and make your coffee at home.

You won’t completely eliminate your food expense, but you’ll definitely reduce it. Someone working from home could save at least 75%.

 

20% of Your Income for Childcare

Employees with kids have it extra hard because they have to pay for babysitters and other childcare costs.

Approximately one-third of Americans spend 20% of their income on childcare alone. However, this statistic varies based on your location, the number of kids you have, and your preference of childcare services. (For example, you might prefer a nanny or a live-in sitter over daycare or leaving your children with someone you know.)

By becoming a sole trader or forming a limited liability company, you can be flexible with your work hours. Therefore, you can reduce the amount of money you spend on childcare.

However, keep in mind that this could result in your having to work when the kids are asleep or at school. You also might not be able to work weekends. This could affect your sleep quality until you start generating a positive revenue.

Many entrepreneurs need debt relief during the early stages of their business, so reducing childcare costs is a big plus.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: DON’T LET FINANCIAL PHOBIAS KEEP YOU FROM GETTING DEBT RELIEF

 

The Last Word: Save by Starting a Home-Based Business 

Starting your home-based business is easy, and you’ll notice a big difference in your expenses immediately.

If you’re obsessively good at managing your resources you could wipe off 75% of your regular expenses every month. You’ll notice it in your household bills. You’ll also have more money to invest in your business.

For example, by working from home you could increase your salary by up to 50% during the first year of your home-based business. This statistic includes both your positive revenue and the savings you would experience.

Have you ever thought of starting a home-based business? What are you waiting for? The time to start is now.

 

About the Author

Author Bio: Victoria Heckstall is a freelance writer and serial entrepreneur who started her first business in 2011. She hasn’t looked back at the standard nine-to-five since.

The post How Much Money Can You Save by Starting a Home-Based Business? appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/15/money-save-home-based-business/

Get Some Stress Relief: How to Truly Unwind After Hours

Everyone experiences stress. In fact, most American professionals would say they face regular stress as it relates to their jobs. But as a business owner, you face an entirely different level of pressure, tension, and anxiety. The weight of the company is on your shoulders and a mistake here or a misstep there could have a direct effect on the health of your company.

In order to maintain a certain level of sanity and avoid overworking yourself, it’s critically important that you unwind after work. But, perhaps even more importantly, you need to unwind in a healthy way.

 

 

Unhealthy Habits That Don’t Work

To unwind is to relax after a period of work or tension. Unfortunately, society tends to throw things at us that appear relaxing on the surface, but are actually just cheap distractions designed to provide a temporary effect.

Before we investigate some of the safe and effective ways business owners can de-stress after work hours, let’s highlight a few of the unhealthy habits that deliver diminishing returns.

 

• Drinking

Each evening, millions of Americans return home from work and enjoy a cold beer, cocktail, or glass of wine. But if you’re constantly relying on alcohol to relax—and it takes two or three drinks to get to that point—you’re actually doing yourself a disservice. Alcohol abuse leads to a number of unsavory consequences. Over the long run, it will do much more harm than good. There’s nothing wrong with having a drink every now and then, but don’t turn to it as a form of escape.

 

• Watching the News

Maybe you like watching the evening news, or flipping on one of those news talk shows after dinner. While it’s good to stay on top of current events, watching the news on a regular basis will only make you more anxious. By design, the news is designed to scare you with divisive and sensational stories. In this sense, ignorance is bliss.

 

• Doing More Work

Many business owners believe their stress level would go down tremendously if they could just “catch up” or “get ahead.” Consequently, they bring work home with them and try to get a jump start on the next day. However, the truth is that you’ll never catch up. There will always be something that needs to get done. Relaxing is a far better use of your time.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: HEALTH AND FITNESS TIPS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS

 

4 Safe and Effective Ways to De-Stress

So if it’s a bad idea to pour a drink, turn on the news, and knock out a little work on your laptop, what are some of the safe and effective ways you can actually de-stress after a long day at the office?

 

1. Get Some Exercise

Over and over again, study after study has shown that physical activity reduces stress. While you might think your body wants you to plop down on the sofa and watch Netflix, you’ll actually get a lot more benefit out of a run around the block or a trip to the gym.

 

2. Play with Your Kids

Want to put things in perspective and forget all about work for a couple of hours? Play with your kids. It’s virtually impossible to stress out over work when you’re rolling around on the floor with your giggling toddler, doing crafts with your five-year-old, or playing basketball with your teenage son.

 

3. Take a Hot Bath or Shower

There’s something very therapeutic about ditching your work clothes, running a hot bath or shower, and soaking away the stress of the day. You’ll get out feeling refreshed and clean, both physically and mentally.

 

4. Turn off Your Devices

Finally, make it a point to turn off your devices after work. Don’t just put them on silent. Actually turn them off and put them away. When you don’t have your phone, tablet, or computer competing for your attention, you can do things that allow you to relax—like read a book, cook dinner, or play a board game with your spouse.

 

Set Yourself up for Success

There must be some division in your life. Running a business is stressful, and, at some level, it always will be. However, that doesn’t mean you have to be constantly frazzled. You must make time to relax and unwind. Otherwise, stress and anxiety will rule your life.

The post Get Some Stress Relief: How to Truly Unwind After Hours appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/11/stress-relief-unwind/

Important Facts About the U.S. Income Tax Filing Deadline in 2018

Have you taken care of your U.S. tax filing for your business this year? Or do you plan to file for a personal tax refund with the IRS? Well, you are running of time on both counts. That’s because the U.S. tax filing deadline is April 17, 2018.

If you are not sure what to do, we have a handy guide to share with you. That’s because the nice folks at PDFelement have compiled a useful infographic to guide you.

What’s more, you can use this infographic as a step-by-step guide when you’re applying for a tax refund from the IRS. Additionally, it touches on some vital facts about the U.S. tax system. You’ll learn how the tax system works, how revenue is generated, and some interesting facts about how people use their tax refunds.

 

U.S. Tax Revenue Facts

The first statistic in this infographic that catches the eye is that U.S. tax revenue stood at around $3.46 trillion in 2017.

In 2013 that number was $2.78 trillion. It has been increasing steadily over the past five years and is expected to grow even further in 2018. This year’s estimated figure is approximately $3.654 trillion.

In terms of revenue sources, income taxes account for half of all revenue collected by the government. This is followed by payroll taxes at 33%, with corporate taxes coming in third at 10%. Meanwhile, custom excise taxes, the Federal Reserve’s net income, and estate taxes make up the remaining portion of the revenue stream.

Interestingly, U.S. citizens bear a significantly lower tax burden than do citizens of other developed nations, such as Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and France. Of these six countries, French citizens have the highest tax burden, at 46% of that country’s GDP. This is followed closely by Italy at 43%, Germany at 37%, and the United Kingdom at 33%. Both Japan and Canada come in at 32% of their respective GDP’s, while the U.S. stands at 26%.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: PAYING YOUR FAIR SHARE: A BRIEF GUIDE TO PAYING TAXES AS A FREELANCER

 

How to Do Tax Filing for a Refund with the IRS

The infographic linked earlier in this post also comes with a practical tax filing guide that you can use when you’re applying for a tax refund. This can be especially helpful for anyone who’s new to tax filing fundamentals.

Basically, filing for a refund entails 11 steps:

• Confirm if you qualify for a refund
• Gather tax forms and paperwork
• Determine your filing status
• See if you qualify for free tax return preparation
• Choose the simplest form
• Figure taxes and credits
• Claim dependents and exemptions
• Determine if you need to pay quarterly estimated taxes
• Determine if you need tax professionals
• File your taxes online
• Check your return status

 

What Americans Do with Their Refunds

Americans are most likely to use their tax refunds for savings and paying down debts, at least if statistics from previous years hold true. Research shows that 41% use tax refunds to clear debts. Another 38% save tax refunds for the future. Others make major purchases. For example, some purchase homes or make other large purchases, while others spend their money on vacations or splurge on luxury items.

 

 

Click the Link to Learn More

If you want to learn more, take a look at the interesting infographic we referenced above. You’ll find many more captivating facts about U.S. income tax and the U.S. tax filing deadlines you need to know about.

The post Important Facts About the U.S. Income Tax Filing Deadline in 2018 appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/11/income-tax-filing-2018/

Why SEO Is Such a Vital Part of Your Business Operations

There are so many different elements involved in running a business. You have to make sure you cover all the areas that matter. If you want your company to succeed, you can’t ignore the things that matter. You need to do what you can to embrace the important aspects of running a company. For instance, you’ve got to understand the vital role that search engine optimization, or SEO, plays in your company’s success.

Your business runs like a well oiled machine. At least that’s true if you’re doing all the right things, including properly managing your company’s SEO.

Search engine optimization is like a motor that keeps a machine moving toward its target. You already know how important it is to market and promote your company properly. SEO is key to your efforts in this regard.

 

It’s All About Your Brand

When you market your business, it’s important to draw awareness to your brand. This is one of the areas in which search engine optimization plays such a big role.

Robust SEO techniques will boost your online visibility. They will ensure that your company ranks higher in search engine results.

This in turn will draw more attention to your brand. You will therefore be more likely to have customers visiting your site and engaging in sales.

The idea is to get customers to show an interest in your business. And brand visibility is the best way of doing that.

 

 

Great SEO Builds Your Credibility

Another way in which SEO is important is that it gives your business credibility.

People like companies they can trust. Therefore, credibility is essential.

If Google deems your business as relevant and worthy, consumers will instinctively do the same, even if they don’t realize it.

Making your company more professional and credible is important to its evolution and growth. That’s why SEO plays such a vital and important role.

 

You’ll Improve Your ROI

As a business owner, you’re continually looking at how to get the best possible return on investment (ROI).

Sometimes you have to spend money to make money and help your brand grow. Search engine optimization is proven as having one of the best ROI’s in the advertising world.

Not only does it manage to showcase your business and make it appear as more authentic, but it can also drive traffic to your company.

You really need to make sure you use SEO as much as you can. Additionally, ensure you have a professional SEO company to take charge of this for you.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: COMMON SEO MISTAKES SEARCH MARKETERS REFUSE TO ABANDON

 

Take Your Business to the Next Level

There are so many different things you need to consider when it comes to marketing and promoting your brand.

However, one thing is clear: Search engine optimization will play a central role in any success your company might have.

You need to make sure you are familiar with how this magical marketing method works. What’s more, you need to bring professionals in who can make the best use of it.

With proper SEO, your business can rapidly progress to the next level. Focus on the best SEO for your brand. As a result, you will attract many more paying customers.

The post Why SEO Is Such a Vital Part of Your Business Operations appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/04/11/seo-vital-business/