Emails are a necessary part of everyday business communication. They can also be a major distraction that eats up your time and negatively affects your productivity. With emails now on your phone, it’s even easier for your attention to be hijacked by the ‘ping’ of every notification, losing valuable time that should be spent growing your business and getting more customers.
Read MoreTopics: business strategies, small business, business blog, business needs, marketing
The most basic way that businesses make a profit is to sell their goods and services. To do so first requires that businesses provide a good or service, then to market that product and make sales. However, there are two very different channels that businesses can sell through. Selling directly to consumers, or “business-to-consumer” (B2C) marketing, is an entirely different operation than selling directly to other businesses (“business-to-business”, or B2B).
Read MoreTopics: business strategies, buyer demand, small business, business blog, business needs, marketing
Being a small business owner is an enormous task. Much of the operational responsibilities of your business rest on your own shoulders. With so much on your plate, it’s no wonder that business owners often fall into habits that may not always be healthy for their business.
Read MoreTopics: strategy, small business, trade exchange, business blog, increase sales, barter, business needs, marketing
Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) often lack the sheer size they need to compete with much larger, international firms. Doing business in an environment where you’re one of the smaller fish is difficult, which is why smaller businesses often align their objectives with other, similar businesses to create business networks. These networks let SMEs work together to accomplish larger objectives, which increases their competitiveness with bigger companies, and as such, they’re very important for the businesses involved.
Read MoreTopics: small business, attract new customers, build business networks, business blog, increase sales, networking
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
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
Very few businesses in the world would willingly say “no” to more sales. After all, businesses exist to increase profit, and business owners and employees are working to earn a living and support their families. However, generating those additional sales can be a major challenge. Clients don’t just fall into our laps. Often, you have to invest a lot of time and effort in marketing before you see any results.
Read MoreTopics: business strategies, growing your business, increase cash flow, small business, attract new customers, save cash, business blog, increase sales, barter, business needs, networking
Online Reputational Management (ORM) is vital to any business. One poor Google review or post (whether justified or not) can have a significant impact on your business. With social media such a popular channel for people airing their views, you could have a serious problem if that one person with a negative experience of your brand happens to have thousands of followers.
Read MoreTopics: business strategies, digital, social media, branding, business blog
