It’s not surprising to see a significant shift of practices when it comes to business networking. The world has adopted new ways to network that are no longer limited to face-to-face interactions. For a long time, business owners have attended meetings, events, and tradeshows to expand their contact base. Today, thanks to fast-paced technology, online networking sites have become common in the realm of making business connections.
Read MoreTopics: small business owner, strategy, small business, attract new customers, build business networks, unrealised potential, business needs, networking, trade dollars
A business cycle is the natural rise and fall of economic growth over a period of time. The cycle is a useful tool for analysing the wider economy, as the upward and downward fluctuations show variations in production, employment, wages, and investment. Understanding the cycle allows you as a business owner to make better financial decisions with the goal of helping your business increase profit despite the downturns. Today we discuss the five main phases of a business cycle: expansion, peak, recession, trough, and recovery.
Topics: buyer demand, small business, business start-up, business blog, unrealised potential, increase sales, barter, business needs
Being in business usually means opening your doors to everyone, welcoming them in, building relationships and ultimately agreeing to do business together. Sounds simple, right? It can and should be. However, there are situations that can test you and one of the big tests is being able to say ‘No’ when you need to.
Read MoreTopics: small business, business blog, unrealised potential, business needs, customer loyalty
When you first started your business, you had a plan. It may have been something roughly scratched out on an A4 sheet of paper, or a complex business plan you presented to your bank manager, or maybe something in between. Your business plan provided you with a mission, a path for your business to help keep things moving in a positive, forward direction.\
Read MoreTopics: growing your business, strategy, small business, attract new customers, business blog, unrealised potential, barter, business needs, networking
As a small business owner, consistent, constant marketing plays a big part in making sure your audience knows you, what you offer and what makes you unique. It would be great to simply open the door to your business every day and wait for the customers to roll on in. In reality, we know that doesn’t happen without a LOT of effort.
Read MoreTopics: business strategies, growing your business, increase cash flow, social media, small business, content marketing, increase sales, trade dollars
Understanding the financial health of your business can be an extremely overwhelming task to get your head around. Unless you have a passion for figures then it’s an area that can cause a lot of frustration and stress. You may have a handle on your profit and loss statement, but are you able to look deeper and really see how your business is going?
Read MoreTopics: Accounting, increase cash flow, small business, attract new customers, save cash, spare capacity, unrealised potential, increase sales, business needs, trade dollars
To increase business profits, you don’t need to allot a huge portion of your company’s budget. Even the best planned marketing campaigns can fail. Every facet of business decision-making, including one’s marketing strategy, almost always involves risks, and a positive turnout isn’t 100% guaranteed. As market behaviour continuously changes, investing in large, high-cost campaigns don’t always translate to increased sales. Thankfully, there are ways in which your business can achieve maximum profitability minus the costly investment. Here, we talk about low-cost effective strategies, which can pave the way for business growth.
Read MoreTopics: small business, save cash, branding, increase sales, business needs, trade dollars
It’s something every business owner knows they need to do but very few put aside the time for it. Not surprisingly, it’s those who do that tend to be the most successful. Strategic planning is essential to the development and growth of your business. So why is it like pulling teeth to get business owners to sit down and focus on it? The answer is clear. You’re too busy working IN your business to take a step back and work ON your business. Strategy and planning is put on the backburner while you deal with more pressing issues.
Read MoreTopics: business strategies, growing your business, increase profit, small business, attract new customers, business needs
Advances in technology have enabled us to extend our reach in both our business and personal lives. These advances have allowed businesses far more flexibility, empowering them to operate 24/7. Additionally, with social media and the likes of Skype and Zoom, it’s now much easier to stay in touch with friends, family and business colleagues around the world. In your business life, online solutions like the Bartercard mobile app can greatly expand your business network, helping you move old stock and increase profits.
Read MoreTopics: digital, improve lifestyle, small business, business blog
No amount of money can buy customer loyalty. If a company’s product or service is good and trustworthy, customers will inevitably come back to support that brand. However, no matter how good a product or service may be, businesses still need to come up with effective customer loyalty strategies to build customers’ trust, improve customer interaction, increase engagement, and actively retain them after their first purchase. Today we look at reasons why a loyalty program is an effective strategy in retaining existing customers and gain new ones.
Read MoreTopics: strategy, small business, attract new customers, branding, customer loyalty
