Regardless of how stable a nation’s economy is, no country is fully self-sufficient. Even the most powerful countries need raw materials from other countries. In turn, they produce products to sell in other countries. In fact, practically everything in the world evolves toward commerce, as countries acquire what they lack and sell what they produce. Therefore, exporting products and services offers multiple business opportunities.
Nowadays, international trade is cheaper, easier, and safer than ever before. In addition, many complex business rules have been reviewed and streamlined. This encourages many to participate in the export trade.
But like all other industries, the business of exporting products and services has many important aspects. Business opportunities have expanded with the advent of technology. However, merchants, importers, and exporters must always be aware of the factors that will affect the results of their business.
At https://www.expocart.com/, you’ll find the specifics about business opportunities in exporting products and services. For example, you can delve into topics such as marketing, logistics, and government rules. These are all major factors that influence business opportunities in exporting products and services.
Marketing
One of the most important factors in any company’s success is marketing. The logic is simple. If you want people to purchase your products and services, you must inform them about these products and services. After all, how can a person buy something they have not heard about?
Additionally, marketing is a key aspect for companies in the export and import sector. Therefore, when you’re beginning the process of exporting products and services, be sure to invest plenty of time, effort, and money into your marketing strategies.
In the import and export sector, the timely delivery of products is one of the most important factors. This is especially true if your imported or exported products deteriorate rapidly. Definitely, with these types of products, time is of the essence.
You can choose from among many logistic services, of course. However, keep in mind that for faster delivery of goods, service costs will be more expensive than for slower delivery services. Therefore, it is important to take into account the logistics needs of your products. Only in this way will you be able to plan for the necessary costs.
The providers of logistics services cooperate and coordinate with the providers of transport, adapting solutions to the needs of their customers around the world. To this end, they operate in connection with air, maritime, brokerage, deposit, and consolidation services throughout the global supply chain.
Governmental Rules
Like it or not, your business of exporting products and services will always be subject to the various rules imposed by the governments with which you trade. Therefore, in order to avoid having restrictions placed on your trading, you must scrupulously follow the rules of the governments you trade with.
Moreover, if you trade with many countries, you will need to become knowledgeable about the Customs laws and other rules of each country. That’s because these laws and rules will vary from country to country.
A Final Word About Exporting Products and Services
The above factors play a large role as far as business opportunities in exporting products and services are concerned. Therefore, learn as much as you can about them before you begin exporting products and services around the globe.
Online selling is currently a trend that you may want to catch up on. Numerous sellers and retailers who began early are now reaping the benefits of online selling.
Nowadays, it’s no longer enough to be on eBay or Etsy to have a successful online shop. There is a plethora of stores on these mainstream websites. Therefore, it can be challenging for customers to find your product. The trick is to locate other online selling platforms that can provide your product great exposure.
Here are five tips for becoming successful with online selling.
1. Focus on a Specific Product
As an online seller, you need to be clear on what product category you’re going into. Then focus just on that. Refrain from having too many different and unrelated products in your shop. This will only confuse your customers. Instead, create your online shop so that it has a uniform theme and feel.
On the Internet, there is a vast array of products and shops for consumers to choose from. To fare well in the ecommerce industry, you need to be selling something that is unique. In other words, you need a product that stands out from the competition. This could be in terms of price, product features, or promotion.
For instance, if you want to champion in price, you can provide a high-quality product without charging an arm and a leg for it. For product features, you can add a few features to your product to make it more interesting. Promotion and marketing play a significant role in making sure your product flies. To learn more about how to improve your marketing strategy, head to journal-reviews for some pro tips.
2. Start Affiliate Ecommerce Marketing
Affiliate e-commerce marketing is a partnership between an established e-commerce platform and an online shop. In this arrangement, the e-commerce platform helps the start-up online shop by promoting its products to customers. In exchange, the affiliate gets a percentage of sales generated from the platform. With this option, you don’t need to make any upfront payment. That’s because affiliates are paid via commissions. This makes it really convenient for the seller.
However, you need to find an affiliate network that goes well with your product genre or niche. Moreover, you have to find an affiliate who has an audience that is made up of your potential customers. Affiliate networks also provide you with a tracking system. This makes it easier to track how much sales are generated from which marketing tactics.
Service plays a significant role in influencing a buyer following. Because you don’t have a physical store, your online store’s service needs to be excellent. Only in this way will you attract a high customer following.
In other words, the easier it is for your buyers to navigate and make a purchase, the more sales you’ll get. Online buyers prefer to deal with online sellers who are legitimate, fun to shop with, and easy to transact with. Here are some ways to make the life of buyers a whole lot easier:
Offer free delivery for a minimum purchase.
Automate the delivery process so users can track the shipment.
Provide different payment options such as cash on delivery, PayPal, credit card, and others.
Allow same-day delivery in select cities.
Have a user-friendly interface on your e-commerce shop.
Make a simple check-out process. Keep the buying process short with as few steps as possible.
Excel in customer service.
Provide easy navigation in your online store.
4. Maintain Good Communication and Fast Responses
Establish good communication with your customers. That is, ensure quick and efficient responses to online messages. And address all buyers’ concerns as quickly as you can.
Word about poor communication in your store can spread quickly on the Internet. Moreover, this can affect your online selling business. Therefore, strive to provide the best possible service. In this way, you’ll get good feedback and reviews in your online store. Consequently, you will increase your credibility among your customers. This can only lead to more online selling.
5. Provide an Engaging Website Design
Lastly, provide an aesthetically engaging website design. When your customers visit your website, especially for the first time, you need to captivate and capture their interest immediately. Additionally, visual appearance is also a very important factor that buyers consider in judging whether or not your store is legitimate or if they should make a purchase.
Follow These Tips to Achieve Success with Online Selling
To become successful with online selling, you need to have good e-commerce affiliates and provide high-quality products, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer service. Whether your store is online or a brick-and-mortar one, following these tips will guide you to have a successful business. It might take a lot of time, work, and investment, but it will all be worth it in the end.
When you’re editing videos for marketing or other purposes, you’re likely focused on making sure that everything turns out perfectly. Unfortunately, it’s easy to make mistakes. If you don’t know what to watch for, your editing actually could end up making your video worse.
While there are many mistakes that you could make when you’re editing videos, there are a few in particular that are extremely important to avoid.
Jump cuts are a jarring type of cut. What’s more, they can be distracting to viewers. In a jump cut you transition from a point in a clip to a point later in the same clip. This can cause the subject and other elements to suddenly appear to “jump” to different locations or positions.
Because of how jarring they can be, you should not use jump cuts carelessly. In fact, you should try to use jump cuts only when there is a specific reason for using them. For instance, you might use one to visually illustrate the passing of time.
Accidentally Slipping the Audio out of Sync
Have you ever watched a video where the audio is running a fraction of a second later or earlier than it should? It can be a disconcerting experience to say the least. This is one mistake that you should try to avoid when you’re editing videos.
Unfortunately, however, this is one of the more common mistakes of editing videos. Moreover, when you’re managing multiple audio and video tracks it is easy to accidentally move the audio slightly out of sync and not notice. The best way to avoid this is to check your audio periodically and make sure it is synchronized.
Not Catching Flash Frames
When you’re trying to quickly cut together a video, you might accidentally split a video a frame too late. This will result in what’s called a “flash frame.” Essentially, what this looks like for viewers is that one or more additional frames will flash into being for a split second in the final video. This can be disconcerting for viewers.
To ensure that no flash frames end up in your final video, zoom in on the timeline and carefully scrutinize the area around each cut. That way you should be able to detect a stray frame or two that might have made their way in. And when you find them, you can remove them.
Using Video Clips with Different Color Balances
If you’re using video footage that was shot on different cameras or at different times of the day in different lighting conditions, the color balance can vary between each clip. Then, when you combine the clips, the transition between them will be jarring.
Arguably, this is a relatively easy mistake to fix when you’re editing videos. Just make sure that you white balance all of the video clips that you want to use in your video before combining them. Afterward, you can opt to color grade the video evenly if you see fit. This will give your video a more professional appearance, as it will maintain a consistent look throughout.
Mixing Dialogue and Music Carelessly
Adding background music to a video is a great way to enhance its mood and pacing. However, if you’re mixing in background music to a video that has an existing audio track, especially dialogue, you need to do this carefully.
Notably, the music should not overpower the dialogue track. This is one of the more important mistakes that you need to check for when you’re editing videos. If you discover that the music is too loud, then lower the music levels appropriately during the dialogue.
Applying Too Many Visual Effects
Beginners often make the mistake of using too many visual effects when they’re editing videos.
While video effects can be fun to play with, more often than not they can leave your video looking like a real mess. That’s because too many effects will end up distracting viewers from the actual content.
As a rule, you should only use effects when you have a good reason to include them. That applies to all types of effects, including animated transitions, filters, slow-motion, and so on.
Nowadays there are lots of video editors that make it easier than ever before for beginners to get started with editing their videos. For example, you could try Movavi Video Editor or GoPro editing for beginners.
As a small business owner, naturally you want to learn how to do most of your marketing yourself, including editing videos for this purpose. However, to produce the most professional-looking videos, keep in mind the mistakes listed here, and make sure you don’t fall victim to any of them.
Editing Videos Is a Skill You Can Perfect with Practice
Even more experienced editors make mistakes when editing videos, including the mistakes described in this post. However, since you now know how to avoid them, it is important that you make it a point not to be careless when you’re editing videos. Instead, and go over each one with a fine-tooth comb when you’re finished. In this way, you can spot any mistakes before finalizing your alterations.
When you’re purchasing life insurance, you’re obviously thinking about how your loved ones would fare if the worst were to happen to you. It is at this time that you must also consider the differences between an insurance broker and an agent.
The main thing to understand is that there is a difference. Some life insurance specialists work only with one company. Such a specialist could be thought of as a “hostage” operator. These are people we commonly refer to as insurance agents.
An insurance broker is different. This is someone who is able to work with any number of insurance firms. This person isn’t bound to any one company. They can go out and utilize any company that will allow them to do so.
Often, customers who have an interest in buying insurance are interested only in working with one insurance operator specifically. The problem is, if they don’t know that the specialist is a “hostage” operator, or in other words an insurance agent, they could get fewer options than they were looking for.
Since that specialist’s earnings are principally on commissioned deals, the agent will often want to appear as though he is providing one-stop search for the majority of customers’ insurance needs. However, does this fundamentally mean you are getting the best arrangement possible?
What Are the Benefits of Working with an Insurance Agent?
Are there benefits to working with a hostage life insurance specialist, or insurance agent? The answer is yes, but only sometimes. Hostage operators can only offer you what the company they work with will provide. Therefore, you might not learn about everything that is available to you.
At What Point Are These Companies Beneficial?
More often than not, insurance agents offer insurance that has several different purposes. Moreover, they generally take a professional approach. In such a situation, if they offer what you actually need, an insurance agent can be of benefit to you as a consumer.
At What Point Does an Insurance Broker Make Sense to Use?
However, if you’re looking for a specific type of insurance, for example, term insurance, you’ll want to look elsewhere. This is where a life insurance broker will shine.
In these cases, an insurance broker, who is an independent specialist, will be ideal for you. That’s because he or she will be able to offer you several different options to choose from. Moreover, you’ll be able to select from a database of insurance companies to find the best arrangement for you.
In this situation, an insurance broker will have the upper hand over an insurance agent, or hostage operator. Insurance agents, who work solely with a single company, won’t have the benefit of different companies to offer you. What’s more, very often they can only offer you insurance products which are more costly than the ones you would get from an insurance broker.
As a business owner, you have many concerns. Among them are profit, margins and resources. Not least, however, are safety considerations and the happiness of your staff. These are obviously among your central concerns. Moreover, you are required by law to ensure that your staff are safe while on your premises.
We have created a list of key safety considerations. If you are a new business owner you should implement these policies and practices before you start trading. If you are an established business, you should update your policies immediately to avoid fines and other liabilities.
One of the biggest causes of work place accidents are trips, slips, and falls. Obviously, you will want to avoid these as much as possible. You are mandated by law to ensure that you make reasonable adjustment to your work space to ensure that trips, slips and falls are rare.
The steps that you need to take to protect your business will be different depending on the industry. If you work in the catering or hospitality industry be sure to have safety mats in areas were the risk of a trip, slips or falls are most likely. These include the kitchen or bar areas in particular. We suggest that you consider safety mats from Kleentex to meet this requirement.
Avoid Accidents from Heights
Accidents from a height, for example falling from a ladder, are incredibly common. That’s because people do not adhere to the proper safety precautions.
As much as possible you should work from the ground. When that’s not possible, ensure that your employees can get safely to and from the place that they are working from. Furthermore, you should make sure that the equipment you use is fit for the purposes of working from heights. We recommend that you use combination ladders from BPS Access Solutions.
Ensure That Staff Know Your Policies and Other Safety Considerations
You can do as much as possible to have a safe work place. However, if your staff are not aware of your internal policies and practices the entire exercise is useless.
Therefore, you must ensure that your staff have a clear and concise health and safety induction. You must make sure that the staff know to consult a copy of your safety policies. Ensuring that your staff are as informed as possible about safety considerations will mean that they can avoid workplace accidents. Moreover, if an unfortunate incident does occur your liability will be lessened.
Make Safety Considerations a High Priority
Work place accidents are an unfortunate fact of our working careers. However, as a business owner you must mitigate the risk of an accident as much as possible. We have highlighted some safety considerations here. If you attend to them, you will help to ensure that you have a safe workplace and happy staff.
CRM, for the uninitiated, stands for “customer relationship management,” and it refers mainly to software programs that support such efforts.
CRM vendors have reported upturns in adoption rates in the past quarters of 2018. But for companies, the challenge is to keep up with the changing trends of this extremely competitive market.
So, what CRM trends do we expect in 2019? Well, we know that leading CRM service providers like Salesforce, SAP, and Oracle have been making enhancements to streamline key CRM functionalities. All boast of Artificial Intelligence (AI) competencies. Moreover, all have the knack to increase conversion rates, boost sales, collect crucial (valid) data, and improve consumer fulfillment. All of this can help your company to stand out from the masses.
And with the tweaks and upgrades in technology, we see 2019 as a revolutionary year for CRM. That’s because we anticipate a shift from basic to more complex functions and features. Here are 5 top CRM trends that will prove useful to your organization next year.
1. IoT in CRM
Incorporating IoT (internet of things) to CRM will shape the future of consumer service. That’s because this shift will ensure hands-on, predictive, and personalized customer service. IoT is anticipated to be one of the critical drivers of CRM. It will streamline the working of systems to help organizations drive sales and boost customer service and fulfillment.
An example of this incorporation is the ability to scrutinize information generated from connected devices and fix any arising issues remotely.
As the online shift reaches its peak, various industries will change. Moreover, IoT in CRM will match up to these transformations. Its fast, automated customer service will solve problems more quickly and competently, and even beforehand. According to Statista.com, by 2020, up to 12.86 billion installed IoT bases will be operational in the consumer segment.
2. Social CRM
The social CRM market is anticipated to reach $10 billion in 2019. And this is no surprise as we’ve recently seen an increase in the use of social media markets by shoppers. They are also becoming a much-loved chill spot for sales teams and marketers seeking to engage in real dialogue with customers and leads.
It is a useful source of first-party information into a consumer’s habits, and who he or she is as a person. With new-age CRM you can analyze these clues and enhance customer satisfaction. Not even social media’s massive pile of data can stop you if you incorporate automation. It enables you to analyze data in real engagement.
Knowing your clients allows you to create marketing messages. Moreover, your messages can be tailored to suit their interests an organic manner. You can handle arising issues with care and have a personal touch. What’s more, you can participate in a conversation that doesn’t feel like marketing.
In essence, social CRM is the seamless integration with numerous platforms to engage customers and collect insights.
Merging Artificial Intelligence with CRM will upgrade conversational CRM platforms in 2019. There are several notable developments in CRM. For instance, there are face and text recognition. However, we expect to see voice functionalities take over in 2019.
Just like the voice assistants on your smartphone, AI-enabled CRM like Salesforce’s Einstein allows companies to gather information of both simple and complex data. This is does with the help of voice commands just like your smartphone’s voice assistance does.
Integrating the use of voice into CRM will only simplify tasks further as it has already done in other aspects of life. Allowing customers to dictate instead of type manually speeds access to information. According to IDC’s AI/CRM survey, out of the 1,028 organizations studied worldwide, 28% said they’re already using AI. What’s more, around 41% said they plan to do so in two years. After all, what is CRM without AI?
4. A Rise in Mobile CRM Adoption
Mobile CRM offers CRM functionalities on virtually any device that can link to the network. Plus, it enables real-time access anywhere, anytime. That explains why the trend will thrive in 2019. Because mobile device use is persistently growing, the number of CRM users that log into their system on phones and tablets will go up as well.
And with the efficiency mobile CRM offers, a rise in its usage means access to more accurate information. Additionally, it will bring better customer experience, and do away with the need to learn and pick up new software. Furthermore, with almost 91% of firms with 10 or more staff using CRM systems, it is vital to make sure that those systems are reachable on multiple devices and at different internet speeds. According to Superoffice.com, 48% of users enter their CRM systems through their smartphones, while 45% use their tablets.
5. Hyper-Personalization for Matchless Customer Experience
Companies store years of consumer data in their CRM systems. This data helps them offer customers unmatched hyper-personalized customer experience. The service ensures a personalized experience in which customers feel recognized, appreciated, and valued.
Hyper-personalization will be practiced in 2019 and beyond. That’s because it will give businesses a competitive edge on shopper experience and engagement. The key is to gather insights that will lead to more accurate and useful suggestions. This will significantly improve customer fulfillment.
A prediction by VisionCritical suggests that by 2020 customer experience will overtake price and product to become the leading brand differentiator. Other statistics from CMO.com show that in 2018, 94% of organizations used hyper-personalization technology.
Closing Remarks
2019 will mean stretching your CRM budget. Most companies are now realizing the significance of understanding (not merely knowing) their customers. With the development of technologies such as voice and mobile-powered CRM, we expect to see improvements not only on the customer fulfillment but the user experience too.
However, it is an investment worth your attention. That’s because statistics show that the future of brand recognition will shift from price and product to customer experience. And the only way to truly know your customers is by adopting the latest CRM trends.
When you employ non-desk workers, you’re faced with many challenges. For example, you need to track their workload and share important company information. Most important, though, is that you need to keep your non-desk workers engaged.
As a manager, it’s your job to keep your non-desk workers connected and motivated. An online team management tool can help you do all of this and more. However, take pains to ensure your employees don’t feel spied on by establishing a positive and responsive environment.
A recent study found that 38% of mobile workers and 45% of telecommuting workers absolutely love their jobs. Therefore, it’s all the more important to create a stable and open atmosphere with your non-desk workers. So be sure that employee monitoring is clearly defined. In this way, all parties will be happier and more motivated to give it their all.
Below you’ll find descriptions of three apps that can be extremely helpful in monitoring and engaging your non-desk workers.
Connecteam’s time clock app for multiple employees is super easy to use and requires no training, and most importantly, it was specially designed and built for non-desk employees. With multiple features, like time clock, chat, scheduling, surveys, mobile training and more, its never been easier to connect your team.
Their time clock function allows for more than just clocking in and out. You can also request absences, view current and past time sheets, see an employee’s GPS location, and add notes. Plus there’s an in-app chat capability and you can easily plug in an employee directory. With fixed monthly prices ($29 or $79), Connecteam makes it easier than ever to monitor and engage all of your employees.
2. Google Forms and Spreadsheets
Just about everyone is familiar with Google Forms and Spreadsheets, therefore implementing this app with your employees is easy and swift. Google Forms allow you to plan and manage all your business needs (like tracking inventory or planning a company event), create a poll or quiz, time off request forms, customer feedback forms, and so much more. Choose from a pre-existing template and instantly begin to make changes to suit your business needs.
Note that all of your employees can even work on the same file, just send them an invite and you’re all set. Additionally, Forms are responsive which makes it is really easy to “make, edit, and respond” to the forms. In real time, you can see any changes and can quickly respond yourself.
3. Trello
Simply put, Trello is a task management app which provides a visual overview of what is being worked on and who is doing the work. It is a nice and easy tool that’s great for mobile task management. Easily organize and prioritize tasks with Trello’s fun (yes, we said fun!) boards, lists, and cards. Quickly add attachments, comments, a due date and more to each card.
Choose from three pricing plans: Free, $9.99 per user/month, or $20.83 per user/month. Carefully review all pricing plans and choose the one that suits your needs best. Either use Trello from your PC or smartphone, it easily integrates into your everyday work life.
Connect Non-Desk Workers with the Rest of the Company
With the three tools described here, you can save time and money. Best of all, your non-desk workers will feel connected to the company they work for and productivity will rise. And when productivity rises so does profit. Now, doesn’t that sound like a win-win?
If you live in India or own a business there, read on to be informed about changes to insurance coverage in that country.
The insurance coverage for a personal accident was Rs. 1 lakh for two-wheeler owners and Rs. 2 lakh for car owners. Now, IRDAI has recommended increasing the minimum coverage to Rs. 15 lakh. The maximum coverage is now Rs. 50 lakh.
Hence, all the insurance companies should offer new insurance policies beginning October 2018. This is when the new regulations went into effect. It is also mandatory to buy compulsory personal accident coverage for the first three years of insurance.
The policyholder will get higher compensation for temporary or permanent disability, according to the terms and conditions of the policy.
If a policyholder dies in an accident, the insurance company will pay the lump sum amount to the beneficiary.
IRDAI’s Circular
As per the new circular issued by IRDAI, insurance companies will now provide higher personal accident insurance coverage to customers.
The victims of road accidents will get a higher package when there is accidental death or injury due to a traffic accident.
This judgment was made by the Madras High Court after the tragic death of P. Rajni in a road accident in 2011.
The family members of the victim filed a claim for higher compensation from the insurance company.
Rekha, the wife of P. Rajni, approached the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal. The tribunal then awarded Rs. 53 lakh under third-party coverage.
However, the insurance company justified its stand by citing that the maximum compensation that could be offered against the policy was Rs. 1 lakh.
The maximum insurance coverage available for bike owners was Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh for car owners.
The court found fault with the unjustified compensation to the insured. The third party will get compensation up to Rs. 15 lakh. While the insured is taking steps to cover the third party to the highest coverage, the insured is getting less than Rs. 1 lakh as compensation.
Hence, the court asked the insurance regulator to come up with what it called “compulsory personal accident,” by which the insured will get coverage of at least Rs. 15 lakh.
Implications of the New Regulations
With the implementation of IRDAI’s new regulation the insured will bear a larger burden. That’s because the insured will need to pay at least Rs. 750 per year in order to get coverage for compulsory personal accident of Rs. 15 lakh.
Further, insurance companies will need to come up with robust plans to enhance the personal accident coverage.
Insurance companies will also need to offer coverage up to Rs. 50 lakh. However, customers will larger premiums to get additional coverage.
The insurance company will be able to provide higher coverage based on the earning potential of the insured.
The sum assured will be proportional to the insurance premium.
Now, motorists have the liberty to choose higher compensation so that they can secure their family members.
The coverage is applicable for motorcycle owner-driver only.
If the insured wants coverage for the pillion on a two-wheeled vehicle, they will need to purchase add-on coverage.
Types of Vehicle Insurance Policies
There are three types of vehicle insurance policies in India:
Two-wheeler insurance policy
Car insurance policy
Commercial vehicle insurance policy
Two-Wheeler Insurance Policy
Two-wheeler insurance is the most popular type of vehicle insurance in India. That’s because most households in India own one or two bikes. The insurance policy will cover various kinds of risk factors for two-wheeled vehicles.
A two-wheeler can be covered by either a third-party insurance policy or with comprehensive insurance coverage.
Third-party cover is the least expensive and best for an older vehicle.
It will also offer coverage for a third-party vehicle.
The policy will cover damage to the third-party property.
The death or injury of a third-party will also be covered.
The personal accident coverage was previously a maximum of Rs. 1 lakh.
With the introduction of new regulations, all the insurance companies in India will now offer a minimum of Rs. 15 lakh as compensation.
If you buy a new vehicle after September 1, 2018, you must buy a compulsory personal accident (CPA) coverage by paying Rs. 750 annually for at least three years.
Therefore, there is now an additional financial burden on vehicle owners.
Package Policy
A package two-wheeler policy will come with features that are included in the third-party policy. It will also include additional features to offer maximum protection to the policyholder.
The CPA terms are the same for the third-party policy as well as for the package policy.
Earlier, the third-party coverage was the same in both third-party policies and comprehensive policies.
Now, in addition to the third-party coverage, you are required to cover personal accidents for a minimum of Rs. 15 lakh.
The maximum CPA that you can subscribe to under the package policy is Rs. 50 lakh.
You can also subscribe to various kinds of add-ons such as engine protection, nil depreciation, no-claim bonus protection rider, and more to get the best insurance coverage.
Car Insurance Policy
A car insurance policy is available under a third-party category or a comprehensive policy.
You can choose a policy in the same way as you choose a bike insurance policy.
Third-Party Cover
With third-party coverage, the maximum personal accident compensation was Rs. 2 lakh.
After the introduction of new rules and regulations, the minimum coverage has been increased to Rs. 15 lakh.
The policyholder can subscribe to higher coverage up to Rs. 50 lakh by paying an additional premium.
There will no longer be own damage coverage. In other words, if your vehicle is damaged in the accident or it was stolen, the insurance company is not liable for damages or compensation.
Therefore, an older car whose worth is negligible can be covered by a third-party car insurance policy.
Comprehensive Car Insurance Policy
A comprehensive car insurance policy offers the highest level of protection.
The package policy is expensive. However, the insurance company offers discounts on various aspects.
The insured can choose features to make their insurance premium more manageable.
The insured’s car will be protected from various kinds of natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, rain, fire, and lightning.
Additionally, the car will be insured against man-made disasters such as riots, strikes, and so on.
Certain risk factors which are not covered by the insurance policy can be overcome by purchasing an add-on.
Engine protection, collision coverage, nil depreciation, roadside assistance, accessories coverage, and medical expenses will be covered by the policy.
Commercial Vehicle Insurance Policy
Vehicles which do not come under the personal-use category can be covered by a commercial vehicle insurance policy.
There are various kinds of commercial vehicles, such as trucks, buses, agricultural vehicles, and multi-utility vehicles. These will be covered under a commercial vehicle insurance policy.
The personal accident coverage rules will apply per the terms and conditions of the insurance policy.
How to Buy the Right Type of Vehicle Insurance Coverage
To buy the right type of insurance policy, follow the tips and tricks offered by experts.
Buy online. This will save you time, effort, and money.
Review your needs.
According to the new regulations, you will need to pay at least Rs. 750 per year to get personal accident coverage of Rs. 15 lakh. Additionally, you must purchase the policy for at least three years for any car you register after September 1, 2018.
Use an online insurance calculator to calculate your premium. You can find how the premium will increase by including various risk factors. In this way, you can choose the best policy for you.
Bike owners can choose a multi-year insurance policy. When they do, the premium will be fixed for duration of the contract. Therefore, you can subscribe to a three-year bike insurance policy and save money on your premiums.
Conclusion
Vehicle insurance is mandatory. However, you need to buy the right type of policy for the risk factors you face. Keep in mind that the compulsory personal accident (CPA) will increase your premium. However, it will protect your financial interests to the maximum possible extent. Too keep costs down, choose online bike insurance. This will reduce your overall insurance premium costs.
There are unhappy events that happen in life and in your business that you simply can’t plan for. Because of this reason, having a specially dedicated emergency fund is always wise. However, it is often hard to plan for that kind of saving.
How can you pay for an emergency if you haven’t done the necessary saving and planning? Luckily, there are a few options at your disposal. The following suggestions could help if you should come across an expensive personal, business, or family emergency in the future.
Use a Credit Card
One option at your disposal is to depend on your credit. That is, you could use a credit card to pay for the emergency.
The positive aspect of using a credit card is that the credit is already readily available to you. Moreover, you can pay for whatever you need quickly. However, this is only true if you have enough credit available to pay for your emergency.
The one thing to keep in mind, though, is that using credit cards to pay for emergencies can be risky. First, you run the risking of maxing out your cards. That means that you will use all the credit available to you on a given card. This will affect your ability to use your credit card going forward. Moreover, it will affect your credit score.
So before you reach for the plastic, do a little soul-searching. Is what you’re facing a true emergency? In other words, is someone’s life or health at stake? If so, go ahead and use that card.
If, on the other hand, what you’re facing is merely an uncomfortable situation, but not an emergency, perhaps it would be better to stop and think things through. After all, you certainly don’t want to get in over your head with credit card debt if you don’t have to. That can get really expensive really fast.
Take out a Personal Loan
Personal loans are unsecured loans that are available to those who enjoy a good credit score based on a history of responsible borrowing. With excellent credit, you can get a low-interest personal loan to pay for your emergency.
However, while a personal loan can be a relatively less expensive form of borrowing, you are still taking on debt. And debt can be a burden on your other finances going forward. If you truly need it, however, and you can qualify for a personal loan, this is definitely a viable option.
Just make sure that you understand the terms of the loan. If you’re financially responsible, a personal loan can be a great option in an emergency.
Borrow from Family or Friends
One option that might be available to you is to ask your family or close friends to lend you the money in your time of need. This can be embarrassing to consider. However, if you are truly in need, this might be your best option.
One major benefit is that friends and family are less likely to charge interest on the money they lend you. A clear downside of borrowing from relatives or friends, however, is that it can put a serious strain on your relationship, especially if you have trouble repaying the loan. On top of that, if the person you borrow from should ever need money themselves down the road, you might not be able to say no to lending them money in return.
Redraw Your Mortgage
A redraw facility allows you to borrow money that you’ve already repaid on a mortgage. These companies typically offer variable interest rate loans. You might be able to take out a fairly large loan if you have been paying on your mortgage for a while. Moreover, this type of loan allows some flexibility with how you repay the loan.
The issue with redrawing your loan is that if you continue to borrow against the amount of money you have put toward your house, you won’t get closer to paying off your mortgage. In fact, you can actually get further away, considering the interest you will be accruing over time.
Take out a Car Title Loan
Another option when you need to pay for an emergency is to take out a car title loan. This is particularly useful for individuals who own their car outright but who do not enjoy a high credit score.
Car title loans are secured loans that are based on the value of your car and the equity you have in that car. Typically, car title loans range from around $200 to $2,000.
There are risks attached to using a car title loan to pay for an emergency, however. First off, car title loans have very high interest rates. Secondly, car title loans are secured loans that use your car as collateral. That means that if you fail to pay off your loan within the (often very short) repayment term, you run the risk of losing your car to repossession. However, if you believe this is your best option, here is a lender that provides car title loans.
Try to Stay Calm When You’re Faced with an Emergency
There are a number of options available to you if an unfortunate emergency should demand money that you simply do not have. The option that is best for you depends on the nature of the emergency, the cost of it, and your specific situation. Hopefully, the list here will help.
No business can succeed without great promotion. You could have the best products or services in the industry, but you will never find success if people are unaware of your business.
Effective promotion will raise awareness about your brand. This will help to increase your brand reputation and generate more sales. This is true regardless of the size of your company or the industry that you operate in.
Digital Promotion
In today’s Internet-driven world, promotion most commonly comes in the form of digital marketing. This involves advertising your company online and increasing your web presence and visibility through practices like search engine optimization (SEO). This is important because consumers turn to the Internet when looking for any kind of product or service. However, this is not the only type of promotion to consider.
More traditional forms of advertising remain highly effective even for Internet-based businesses such as ecommerce stores. Traditional advertising campaigns based on paper promotions—such as leaflets, posters, catalogs, and the like—can help to attract attention. Moreover, this kind of advertising can reach those who do not use a computer on a daily basis.
Businesses such as Leafletdrop make it easy to reach customers in your local area. What’s more, they use clever targeting tools to identify people who are likely to show an interest in your brand. This should deliver a positive return on your investment. That’s because it will help to raise awareness about your company in your local area.
How Much to Spend
Using a combination of both digital and traditional marketing is an effective approach. What’s more, any business in any industry can adopt this method.
So, how much of your business takings should you reinvest in advertising? Many successful brands have found that pumping as much as 50% of your takings into promotion has proven to be a smart business move. This strategy is sure to boost your business up to the next level.
Using as much as 50% of your takings for promotion is the best way to grow your company quickly. This is particularly true when you’re first starting out. However, many entrepreneurs want to use any company profits as their salary. This may be tempting, but ultimately you are limiting growth when you do this.
When you are able to grow the company through reinvesting you can then take on new staff and continue to grow and expand. This will allow you to pay yourself a much higher salary down the line.
Conclusion
Promotion is vital to your business success. This is true regardless of the industry you are in. In today’s day and age, there are many effective ways to promote your products and services and raise awareness about your brand. However, you must also make sure that you are spending enough on advertising to maximize your company’s growth.
Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to race around preset barrels in a rodeo arena, competing with other riders and horses for the fastest time. Men and children of both sexes sometimes compete in this sport. However, professional barrel racing events are usually open only to adult women.
The Race Takes the Form of a Clover-Leaf Pattern
For barrel racing, barrels are set in a large triangle in a rodeo arena. Then the horse and rider race around the barrels in a clover-leaf pattern.
An electronic beam sets a timer when the pair bursts out of the gate. When the horse crosses the beam again upon completing the pattern, the timer shuts off and records their time. A horse who can “hug the barrels” as well as run with lightning-fast speed is one who will win barrel racing events in rodeo after rodeo. A really good horse and rider will race around the pattern in 14 seconds or less.
Barrel racing horses are known not only for their strength and agility but also for their intelligence. What’s more, a successful barrel racing horse and its rider usually have a strong emotional bond. It can almost seem as if the two are of a single mind.
As barrel racing champion Michele McLeod says of her first experience of riding the horse who helped her to win multiple prizes, “When I got on Slick the first time, it just felt like that was where I was supposed to be.”
Yes, but Do Riders Make a Good Living?
Successful barrel racers do what they do for the love of it. They spend endless hours traveling from rodeo to rodeo throughout the season, mainly for the love of the competition. A good pair of horse and rider can even win some lucrative prizes. However, can a rider make a living from barrel racing?
Barrel racers win prize money from placing in the first three slots of a competition. Some of those prizes can even be in the six-figure range. However, most barrel racers—the human half of the pair, that is—earn their living from other occupations as well. For example, some barrel racers board and train horses for other horse lovers or otherwise make their living as ranchers.
What About Thoroughbred Racing?
Many people are probably more familiar with another kind of horse racing. We’re speaking here of thoroughbred racing, as exemplified by the Kentucky Derby, the Royal Ascot, and other prestigious races. Some people enjoy placing bets on this kind of horse racing, too, by way of a bookmaker such as the one at timeform.
When it comes to profiting from betting on thoroughbred racing, however, it takes a lot of dedication and research. A bettor needs to understand the horses involved in the race, as well as the jockeys and the trainers.
Instinct may help you in other areas of life. However, when it comes to betting on horse racing, it’s best to keep your emotions away from the track. Instead, try to place impartial, educated bets. If you want to win as a bettor, place your wagers based on factors such as the horse’s weight, form, and other factors. In this way, you’ll be more successful than those whose bets are steered only by their emotions.
What Makes a Good Barrel Racing Horse?
Only thoroughbred horses run in Triple Crown and other thoroughbred races. However, a number of different horse breeds can be successful at racing barrels. For instance, not only thoroughbreds but also paints, appaloosas, quarter horses, and even grade horses can make good barrel racers.
That’s because barrel racing horses must have strong athletic ability and proper conformation. Those factors are more important than their breed. Above all, though, a barrel racing horse must have a strong desire to win.
Entrepreneurs know that if you’re going to start your own business, you need two things: money and ideas. As the old saying goes, “It takes money to make money.” And so entrepreneurs will typically go to a bank when they need cash for a business startup. But where do you go for ideas? Where is the “idea bank” that will help you find new products, methods, and contacts that can give you a competitive edge in the marketplace? One of the best ways to find new ideas is to travel abroad. Fortunately, cheap flights make traveling more affordable than ever before.
Why Travel Is Essential for the Entrepreneur
There is no better way to shake up your perspective on things than by traveling across the ocean. The biggest thing that will hold you back as an entrepreneur is old thinking. If you’re just trying to do the same thing that others are doing, it will be that much more difficult to grow your business. It’s far better to be on the leading edge than to be playing catch up.
When you travel overseas and step off the plane, everything will be unfamiliar to you. However, what we call “culture shock” can be a really good thing for the entrepreneur. That’s because you’ll be able to see opportunities with fresh eyes. Growing a new business is all about finding new ways of doing old things. That’s why stepping outside the bubble of what’s familiar can be a crash course in innovative thinking.
How Your Business Will Benefit
Here’s how traveling overseas can help you grow as an entrepreneur:
First, you’ll find new products and services. As you explore an unfamiliar place, make sure you visit local stores, ride public transportation, and immerse yourself in how the locals live. This is the surest way to get your creative juices flowing and find new products and services to bring back home.
Second, you’ll see new methods of doing business. You’ll discover new ways of bringing your product or service to the people who can benefit from it the most. If you think of the country you’re visiting as an “idea bank,” then it will help spur you to unexpected innovations. The next challenge will be to take what you’ve learned abroad and figure out how to adapt it to the unique needs of your business.
Third, you can make valuable new contacts that may give you new sources and possibly new markets for your business. Even if your business is focused primarily on servicing your local community, it’s valuable to have global contacts. You never know how this will help you to expand both your vision and your bottom line.
Our brains are like sponges. This is why it is so important to continuously challenge yourself.
Throwing yourself into situations and surroundings that are unfamiliar to you will force your mind to go into overdrive. And this, in the long run, will do wonders for you as an entrepreneur.
You will figure out new and smarter ways to tackle tasks. Moreover, you’ll become exposed to different mindsets from different cultures.
People run businesses around the world based on disciplines that are different from your own. What’s more, you will benefit by educating yourself in a way that helps you apply these various ways of thinking. This is not something you will find only in the business world, though. Make it a point to venture out and discover small villages and see how their leaders work and how the people live their lives in general.
There are always going to be factors that you can apply to your business. Make it a point to learn from people’s dealings in their everyday lives.
Why It’s Less Expensive Than You Think
Does traveling overseas seem pretty overwhelming to you? Perhaps you think it is more expensive than you can afford. Well, think again.
You’d be surprised at how affordable it is to travel and explore exotic locations such as South Africa. You can always save up to travel at least once a year to a place that you’ve never been before. And you don’t have to travel first class either! Try to be a little minimalistic in your approach every once in a while. You’ll be amazed at how it will affect your thinking and perspective.
Connect to Your World by Traveling
The world is getting smaller and more connected. The most successful entrepreneurs are those who know how to connect their local businesses to an increasingly global market. For that reason, traveling overseas will continue to be one of the most exciting ways to grow your business in the 21st century.
Your website is an important part of your business. As a matter of fact, it is one of your main marketing and sales tools. Moreover, setting up a free WordPress website is a reasonable step when you’re running on a tight budget. And the best part is, you don’t need to be a developer or a designer to have an optimized, professional-looking business website.
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems. That’s because it offers business owners the flexibility to build and customize their websites. What’s more, they don’t need to know coding or have design skills.
On the other hand, this is also why many businesses have websites that look alike. However, you can easily turn your startup website into a professional business website. All you need are a few plugins and widgets along with a unique design. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite tricks here. Don’t wait to give yourself a polished business website.
1. Pick a Customizable Theme
When you set up your website with WordPress, you get a default theme. A few businesses make the mistake of keeping that theme, assuming online users will be focusing on your content, products, or services. This cannot be more wrong. Having a unique theme is the number-one factor that attracts users and encourages them to navigate through your website. If your website is just another boring, plain website, why would they bother looking around?
Luckily, WordPress offers multiple customizable themes. You can change the color schemes, fonts, images, and more. But then there are also themes where customization is limited or without it at all. These themes were specifically designed with certain features that won’t help you.
There are also open-source themes that have a page builder feature. These will allow you to adjust the layout of your homepage. Some popular ones are Mythemeshop, Make, and SiteOrigin. They let you organize your content and customize your layout. What’s more, every single detail is customizable so you can turn it into your unique website.
2. Choose a Custom Domain Name
You can get a website for free but your domain name is something you’ll need to pay for. You could get a free domain name, but those are too long and unprofessional.
Usually, a domain name costs from $2 to $20 per year. But if you have a startup business, having your own domain name should be a basic step. It will show your customers that you run a serious business and have an established presence online. Plus, having your website as “www.businessname.com” looks better than “www.businessname.wordpress.com.”
3. Stick with a Clear and Simple Design
If you have a customizable theme, setting a professional and clean design will be easy.
Let’s start with the homepage, since that is generally the first thing online users see. Your homepage shouldn’t be cluttered with a lot of widgets, banners, and content. It should be simple and easy to get around. A page builder can help you set your homepage with a clear layout.
As for the color schemes, you need to have colors that represent your brand. For example, use the colors of your logo.
Generally, try to choose soothing, friendly colors and stay away from colors that are either too bright or too gloomy. Most open-source themes offer unlimited color palettes to choose from. For your theme font, make sure the typography is large and clear so your readers don’t need to squint while reading your content.
Your website design doesn’t need to be complicated or overdone to attract users and encourage engagement. You just need your website to represent your business in the best way possible.
4. Display Your Logo on Your Favicon
At this stage, your business probably already has a logo. However, if it doesn’t, now is definitely the time to start working on one. Your business logo represents your business and brand. It is something you should prominently display on your website. A favicon, which is the small icon that appears on the website’s tab, should always display your logo. In this way, your visitors won’t lose sight of your website, even if they have a lot of tabs open.
5. Use Widgets on Your Business Website
Widgets are a beautiful addition to the design. What’s more, they facilitate the user’s experience on your website. WordPress offers a number of free widgets with most of its customizable themes. These include search, RSS, social icons, and more.
However, don’t add every widget you find. This will only clutter your website. Instead, check out the ones that are available. Then add what you think is necessary or will improve your site.
The social media icons, for example, are a must in every business website. Make them available in a sidebar, in the header, or at the end of each blog post. Social shares should be a big part of your marketing strategy. This technique will enhance that approach.
6. Don’t Hide Your Contact Us Page
Don’t hide your contact information by showing it only in the footer of your website. Your contact us page is something that you should show clearly in the menu, as well as in your footer. Customers who pull up your business online want to be able to verify your address and confirm there is an easy way to connect with you.
If you run a home business or startup and want a commercial address for your business, use a virtual business address service. These addresses are usually prestige locations in major cities, which is great for business marketing. You should also include your email address and phone number. Moreover, be sure to include a contact form so that people can reach out to you.
7. Make Your Navigation Menu Easy to Use
WordPress has a default setting that creates a new tab on the menu with every new page. This can create clutter and look messy. To avoid this, set a clear menu with just the main tabs. Then you can add sub-tabs under each main tab.
You can also use WordPress mega menu plugins to enhance your menu. You’ll find features for adding background images, more sub-menus, a scrollable option, and more. An easy-to-use menu will encourage user engagement.
8. Optimize Your Blog
Your blog can be your best tool for drawing traffic to your website if it is optimized and utilized efficiently. Therefore, you need to be up-to-date with all the news in your field. Moreover, you’ll need to continuously come up with new blog post ideas and update your content regularly.
What will make users stay on your page?
Featuring images with posts
Using infographics to explain steps or give instructions
Having plenty of white space or dividers that match your theme between sections (This will help to organize your blog post.)
The last section on your website might just be the most important section and the one most users scroll down to. Why? They will expect your footer to contain links to all the important pages or categories on your website. Be sure to include a link to your contact us page and your about us page, as well as social media links, and perhaps an email subscription widget. (WordPress has three basic footer widgets you can check out.)
Your footer will have a default setting of the theme’s copyrights. Check to see if this is customizable when you’re setting up your theme.
Finally
These are just a few tips that will help you to get your business website looking more professional and polished. By following these tips, you’ll increase website traffic and gain loyal customers.
Becoming an entrepreneur is a highly appealing pathway to many. However, that path can be a difficult one. You’ll no doubt face many challenges when you first get started. However, a good entrepreneurial education can make all the difference. In this post, we’re going to take a look at the role an entrepreneurial education can play.
What Role Does an Entrepreneurial Education Play?
One of the great things about being an entrepreneur is that you don’t have to have a particularly extensive education to make a successful career.
On the other hand, an entrepreneurial education can help you. For example, if you know ahead of time how the business world works, you’ll be better prepared for your own career. You’ll be ahead of the game if you understand about the bills and services you’re going to have to pay for. And you’ll have a leg up on your competition if you are equipped in advance with some basic tools.
However, many people have started successful businesses sourced purely from their own drive and determination to succeed. Those entrepreneurs have a kind of pure dedication to see things through to the end. As a matter of fact, many of the most successful entrepreneurs didn’t study specifically for their business at all. Instead, they did a lot of learning on the job. And that, too, can make a big difference.
However, getting an education that’s focused on an entrepreneurial career path comes highly recommended. For example, Mr. Tom Whale, Senior Marketing Manager at Oxford Summer School, says, “Education is absolutely vital for you to succeed.” He adds, “As someone who continually gets to see the end result of learning, I can wholeheartedly recommend taking the time to learn a new skill for your career.”
Therefore, consider the role that an entrepreneurial education can have on your career. Moreover, take into account the entire process. When you do, it can be easy to see why you might want to take the time to educate yourself.
An education, particularly an education that specializes on becoming an entrepreneur, can have a significant bearing on your career path. That’s because there are definite benefits that come from knowing ahead of time about the possibilities that lie before you.
Above all, you’ll have a better chance at success when it comes to navigating the world of business when you have an entrepreneurial education.
Conclusion
A good entrepreneurial education will help you to progress faster and further as an entrepreneur.
It’s not an easy task to be your own boss and succeed in any field. This is why you need to give yourself the best possible start. Moreover, a good education will help you to prepare for the road ahead. And in the end, a good entrepreneurial education will give you an edge over other entrepreneurs.
For many people, surety bonds are shrouded in mystery. In this post we talk about what a surety bond is and discuss some of the different types of surety bonds. Moreover, we define some of the applicable terms, such as “principal,” “obligee,” and “surety.”
What Is a Surety Bond?
A surety bond represents a kind of risk management.
To give an example, let’s say that a small city wants to hire a contractor to make repairs on a municipal building. In order to mitigate the risk they’re taking, the city requires the contractor to take out a surety bond. The contractor applies to a surety company for that bond.
The surety company, in turn, checks out the contractor’s credit history and the financial soundness of his or her business. They might even go so far as to check with the contractor’s former clients. That’s because they will want to make sure that this contractor can be counted on do what the city needs him to do.
If the contractor’s business checks out well, the surety company issues the surety bond. In other words, they assure the city that the job will get done properly, within budget and on time. If the contractor fails to make that happen, the surety company will pay the city a certain amount, up to the limit of the surety bond.
In this example, in the lingo of the surety bond business, the surety company is the “surety.” The city is the “obligee,” and the contractor is the “principal.”
Each surety bond company has a unique set of specific guidelines for the principals they bond. These guidelines screen for principals’ risk levels. If a principal doesn’t meet the criteria for that surety bond company’s guidelines, they won’t issue the surety bond.
How a Surety Bond Works
The surety bond company pays compensation to the obligee when the principal doesn’t meet the specifications detailed in the bond. Further, when this happens, the principal must repay the surety company the amount they paid to the obligee.
There Are Multiple Types of Surety Bonds
Some surety bonds are required by law, and others are requested by private individuals or companies. A contract surety bond ensures that the principal will meet the obligations of a construction contract, as in the example described above.
On the other hand, a commercial surety bond ensures that a licensed company will comply with required codes. A fidelity surety bond protects companies and their customers against employee theft. And a court surety bond protects plaintiffs from loss in court proceedings
Obtaining a Surety Bond Is Usually Not Expensive
The principal generally pays the premium for a surety bond. However, they are not expensive to obtain. What’s more, if the principal has a good credit score, the premium may be only a small percentage of the total bond amount. Moreover, it is usually only a one-time payment.
A Surety Bond Is Not Insurance
Surety bonds are a little like insurance in that they pay out to the obligee if the principal does not fulfill the obligations described in the language of the bond. However, since the surety company can research the principal ahead of time, the surety company minimizes its risk.
Insurance companies, on the other hand, generally insure against damages from less predictable events. Moreover, if the surety company has to pay the obligee for the principal’s failure to perform, the principal must then repay the surety company. In this way, a surety bond resembles credit to the principal instead of insurance for the obligee. That’s why principals who have issues with their credit scores may not be approved for some surety bonds.
Today, you can build connections with your customers even before they have done any business with you via various social media channels. But as a business owner, you can’t do this alone. You need help. Specifically, you need to use virtual receptionists. Here are a few ways in which virtual receptionists will work wonders for your business.
If you can’t pick up the phone when potential clients call, your marketing efforts will be in vain. However, you can ensure there is someone on the other end of the call to assist them. This will give them a greater peace of mind and more trust in your business.
Also, almost all virtual receptionist firms offer a 24-hour answering service. Therefore, they can serve your customers at any time of the day. This is even true for odd hours when an in-house receptionist wouldn’t be available to take their calls.
In addition, a virtual receptionist firm won’t take a sick day. They’ll never need a vacation. What’s more, they won’t change jobs or leave the phone unattended. In other words, someone will always be available to answering customers’ phone calls.
They Create an Excellent Impression of Your Brand
Virtual receptionists have been trained to display empathy, nurture leads, build relationships with customers, and handle calls properly. Therefore, they will be able to resolve your customers’ issues within the shortest time frame. And, when there are unhappy or angry customers, they will handle them politely and in a professional manner.
Customers tend to display positive feelings toward a business when they are shown empathy. The greater the empathy shown by your virtual receptionist, the greater the chances of having a repeat customer.
They Gather More Customer-Centric Data
Customer-centric data include customer names, call notes, and phone numbers. You can save this data and use it for a future purpose. To do this, upload the data your virtual receptionists collect to your customer relationship management software. Then use it to communicate with customers more appropriately and on a regular basis. You will thereby improve your relationships with your customers.
According to a report from Nucleus Research, sales representatives reported a 26% increase in productivity when they used a customer relationship management tool. Moreover, many virtual receptionists have knowledge of these CRM tools. Therefore, you can outsource this part of your business to them. This will help you to retain more customers and make more sales.
They Create Full Engagement with Your Callers
If you don’t listen to people and engage with them actively, you can forget about building meaningful relationships with them.
This is where in-house receptionists fall short. That’s because they cannot give callers their full attention because they are busy with other tasks.
Obviously, when callers aren’t satisfied, you can’t build a relationship with them. Then you lose any chance you might have had of doing business with them. In contrast, virtual receptionists can give their full attention to callers and satisfy their needs.
Three ways virtual receptionists satisfy callers’ needs are:
Showing empathy to callers
Complimenting them
Ensuring that their issues will be resolved
The Harvard Business Review reported that customers who were properly treated won’t mind paying as much as 140% more for a service.
Conclusion
While it is true that Rome was not built in a day, it is also true that excellent customer relationships cannot be built overnight. However, you can choose virtual receptionists who show care to your customers. They can actively engage with customers and satisfy their needs. Moreover, you can thereby be sure to achieve more business and greater profits.
