Overheads

If you are self-employed and are working on your own, working from home is most likely the best option. If you’d like to distinguish your home life from your work life, consider co-working. Co-working allows you to rent a desk in an office so you can experience a work environment but not feel as isolated if you were to work at home. Co-working will also free you of any distractions but is much cheaper than renting out office space.

If you have a team of people and need office space, opt for industrial as opposed to commercial space as the rent is cheaper. If possible, allow staff to work from home as this will save on the amount of space needed. Stagger shift times and allow flexible working patterns so that workers can hot desk, this will reduce the amount of office space needed.

In addition, if you are expanding at a rapid rate and are fortunate enough to have high ceilings, you could consider installing a mezzanine floor. Mezzanine floors are intermediate flooring which adds another level to a building.

Workforce

Consider hiring a college graduate as an intern, as many are looking for a CV opportunity and are willing to work for free. Graduates are brimming with ideas and are keen to utilise them. If you’re business fluctuates throughout the year, employ freelancers at busy periods or temporary staff to work during those periods. Cross train staff so that if someone goes on maternity leave or are sick, you will have competent staff to cover without having to pay for additional staff.

Save Energy

If you’re business needs computers, use laptops instead of desktop PC’s as they use 90% less energy. Energy saving light bulbs are a quick and easy change to make but will have a major impact when it comes to your energy bill.

Pay Bills Early

If you pay your suppliers early you may be offered an early payment discount. In some instances you can save up to 25%.

Advertising

Online Marketing

Traditional marketing can become expensive but when promoting your business, make the most of marketing for free online. Create a business blog and write about industry related topics. Be considered as an authority in your area by providing up to date and relevant information. Get active with social media and create a LinkedIn profile as well as a Facebook business page and twitter account.

Word of Mouth

Think about giving a talk or presentation at a local event such as a coffee morning, fete or exhibition. Give out free samples or do a demonstration depending on what your business is.

Piggybacking

Include promotional material such as money off vouchers into mailings such as invoices rather than paying for additional posting.

YouTube

Create a video demonstrating your product or speaking about your service. Make the video quirky and unique to help it go viral.

Office Supplies

Buying refillable printer cartridges can save around 50% as opposed to buying new cartridges. Negotiate with your supplier if you order a large amount of supplies each month to get a bulk discount. Only buy the things you really need.

Buy Used

To kit out an office buy second hand desks and chairs from companies that are going into administration. If you need warehouse space, buy previously used pallet racking to store items in. You can buy second hand pallet racking at a fraction of new warehouse racking and it is also more eco-friendly.

By Boris Dzhingarov is passionate about writing on different business topics. Follow him on Google+.

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We’re banking on the fact that you have already made a mobile device a key component of your business operations, and now we present the most useful applications that could help you reach the next level. Once you have integrated these into your business, you will wonder how you ever managed without them!

Square

Square is one of the most popular and easy to use point of sale applications in what is a crowded market. Although rivals are emerging and developing a variety of similar apps, this one remains the leader and is definitely worth sticking with for the long haul.

Using Square you can process credit card payments quickly and easily while on the move (they send you a credit card reader), and even upload photos of products so customers can look at your tablet and see what things look like without you having to have examples opened and strewn everywhere.

The novelty of signing for a payment on your screen with their finger is sure to be a hit with customers, too.

Podio

If you have a team of people working remotely, and want communications shared in one place without being overrun by emails, then Podio is the app for you. Working alongside the existing website, you can use the application to schedule tasks, send messages and documents, and much more.

Forget the days of being unable to contact employees when they’re on the road, and keep everyone in the loop with this brilliant workspace application.

Hootsuite

Chances are that you are already using Hootsuite to manage your business’ social media accounts, and this exceptional application now allows you to do it on the move. This is by far the leading social media account manager and assistant, allowing you to see an overview of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn from one easy to decipher, user-friendly interface.

Hootsuite allows you to share posts and photographs across all networks, as well as taking advantage of a number of leading analytics features to see how you are performing and understand what you could do better. Does anyone actually click through those links you post?

Numbers

This application is spreadsheet based, and developed specifically for iPad. There are over 250 functions available meaning that you can place all of your data into a spreadsheet and create tables, graphs, infographics, and whatever else you need in order to populate that all important presentation or business plan to show to potential investors.

Similar applications, including Microsoft Office suites, are available across various platforms as well as on iOS.

Zig Zag Board

Forget the days of videoconferencing when you had to awkwardly explain data to someone on the other side of the world, or hold a graph to the camera to show everyone what you are talking about.

This application is the ultimate in interactive whiteboards, allowing you to view maps, data, and create diagrams of your own free will. Best of all, you can host meetings directly through the app at a small cost, meaning everyone on your call can see the data, or make adjustments as they see fit.

Mind Mapping Apps

Mind mapping has been a popular practice in business for many years now, and having an app on your mobile device means you can store ideas as soon as they hit you, rather than having to endure the frustration of ‘I’ll write that down when I get home,’ only to forget and be kicking yourself.

Similar to Zig Zag Board, the best mind mapping applications allow users to share their ideas via e-mail, or open them out for others to look at and, if necessary, amend. Such apps can be brilliant for brainstorming sessions with contacts in various locations around the world.

Translating Apps

Has your lack of a foreign language put you off doing business with people in a particular country?

Allow it to do so no longer, and ensure you have a leading translation application, such as Word Lens, on your mobile device. Many of these apps have a simple operation of simply photographing or submitting a text in your non-native tongue, and returning it in your familiar language.

The best examples of these apps will have all of the information downloaded onto them, so you can translate on the move even without an internet connection.

PDF Scanners/Readers

Whether you need to scan documents such as invoices on the move and e-mail them to the office, or read an urgent report that has been sent to your device, a PDF-focused app can be your one stop solution for all of your needs.

Look out for apps with additional features, such as the ability to annotate PDF documents and print later with notes attached and convert PDF’s and other documents, to have the best and most efficient experience on your device.

Ensure all of these apps are on your shopping list at the earliest opportunity, as they will put you on the path to an easier to manage, more efficient business.

The post Which Mobile Apps Are Essential To Modern Businesses? appeared first on Dzhingarov

While most people associate LinkedIn with businesses, there is no reason why a small business owner can’t take advantage of alternate social networks like Pinterest to gain followers and promote the brand.

Read on for three ways businesses can capitalize on Pinterest as part of a comprehensive marketing campaign and learn tips for attracting followers – regardless of the type of industry you’re in.

Think outside the box

Many business owners shy away from Pinterest because they think they have to be artistic, or they’re worried that their company isn’t relevant to the Pinterest concept. But any type of business can promote a brand via Pinterest, it just takes some creative brainstorming.

For example, let’s say you’re in an industry that is typically less conducive to the Pinterest model, like finance. You can upload pictures and creative boards that merely touch on the theme. The merchant account provider, High Risk Pay, has Pinterest boards that include inspirational quotes about achieving success, images of luxurious goods, and the logos of successful brands.

Embrace your inner photographer

If the images you believe are relevant to your business are absent from Pinterest, it’s time to take the lead. Invest in a nice camera, or use your smart phone to take pictures that embody the culture of the company. Use a reliable photo editing software to make even the most basic pictures look artistic and visually appealing. Picmonkey and Skitch are two free programs that allow the user total control over uploaded images. Another option is to create a board on Pinterest specific to images from the company blog. It’s a great way to drive traffic from Pinterest to pages or websites more specific to the business and it will increase blog exposure.

Use Infographics

Infographics and instructographics are a great way to sum up an aspect of your industry in a visually appealing way. Most Pinterest users have become accustomed to the role of infographics on Pinterest and they are just as willing to “like” and re-pin these images as any others. Instructographics allow you to gather company data and industry stats and share it with others in a compelling format. Without making a hard sales pitch, an infographic can be the call to action that spurs others towards using your products or services.

Ultimately, like any social media platform, Pinterest is what you make of it. Companies of all shapes and sizes are jumping aboard the Pinterest bandwagon because the data shows consistent growth across the network. Don’t commit to Pinterest (or any social media network) if you can’t regularly log on and engage with followers, but if you have the time and resources to craft an online presence, the payoff is certainly worth it.

Author: Brian Patterson – Follow him on Google+

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Post Photos

According to a 2012 survey by ROI Research, 44% of respondents reported that they were more likely to engage with brands if messages contained pictures. More so than video or plain text, photos draw users in quickly and make them curious about the content. A financial education company, Online Trading Academy, found that posting photos of traders at their workstations dramatically increased engagement with the Facebook page. Those traders who were featured were eager to share the pictures with friends and the campaign drew numerous comments, “likes”, and shares from followers.

Ask Questions

Questions are a great way to increase the number of comments on your home page and also generate a higher edge rank score for certain posts. If you ask a question that receives several replies, that activity will appear in more newsfeeds. The more visibility a post has, the more comments and likes it can earn. It’s a cycle of engagement where the more interaction there is on the page, the more interaction there will be. Asking questions is also a great way to informally survey customers and adjust your business model to better satisfy them.

Update Cover Picture

This is a great trick for increasing brand exposure and boosting edgerank. When a major update occurs on a profile page – things like updating the cover picture or changing a relationship status – the Facebook algorithm ranks it more highly than other activity and bumps it up higher in more friends’ newsfeeds. This exposure will generate higher engagement with the page and will often lead to new likes and followers. It’s a good idea to update the cover photo to something relevant and eye catching. Some companies opt to change theirs with the seasons; others update it to reflect industry news or events.

Promote Posts

You can direct traffic to specific links or pages with Facebook’s promoted posts. This increases post exposure and lasts longer in newsfeeds than an ordinary status update. For example, if your business receives press or other positive reviews, you can point your customers towards the article by posting a link on the Facebook page. Then, for a small fee (usually between $5 and $15) you can pay to promote the post for the next several days and target either friends of the business or an extended network. Promoting posts means that people who might never have heard of your company are exposed to it and become familiar with the brand. Eventually, these folks who engage with your Facebook page are likely to become real-life, paying customers.

Ultimately, using social media for small business is what you make of it. If you don’t put in much effort, you won’t get a lot out. But by regularly interacting with your followers, asking questions, posting pictures, and staying engaged, you can boost community involvement with the page and see your efforts rewarded.

By Brian Patterson. Follow him on Google +.

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