Hot Tips
If your business has reached a stage of solid, sustainable growth but you still have money to spare, you don’t necessarily have to put it back into the business. Consider buying assets on behalf of your business to diversify company investments. There are a number of tax incentives, for example, of buying and leasing out […]
1. Listen – use Twitter to monitor what people are saying about your business and sector. 2. Be human – be a person, not just a company, and increase your following. 3. Be interesting – share your thoughts and opinions. Don’t simply bombard your followers with sales or marketing messages. 4. Be active – The […]
Want to join in the social media revolution but don’t know where to start? The following tips will help you get your social media campaign up and running. 1. Research the tools you are going to use and get to know them before participating. 2. Choose one tool to start with. Set up your profile […]
Blog your way to business success, with the below tips. Blog at least twice a week. People like fresh content and having an updated blog will give you a better chance of scoring more followers. Just add two 30-minute windows in your calendar and stick to it! Add a blog-roll to your blog. A blog-roll […]
Branding is a powerful form of marketing that relies on the public’s perception of your business and its products or activities. Good branding should evoke certain characteristics that you would like associated with your business. This may be anything from professionalism to innovation depending on your position in the market. When customers buy for brand, […]
Established businesses often forget that government grants are a genuine source of funding for some business activities. While it’s true that there are some grants designed for start-up businesses, existing businesses may also apply for grants ranging from research and development funding to export promotional finance. Grants are also available for specific industries and even […]
As the countdown to June 30 (tax time) begins, businesses must prepare themselves and get their finances in order for the new financial year. Officeworks have provided the follow tips to help businesses blitz their tax returns. 1. Get organised Tax time is one of the busiest and most important times of the year. Start […]
If you work on a project basis, for example as a consultant or as a short term contractor, avoid the pitfalls of having to manage ‘drought and flood’ finances by establishing a deposit policy for work in progress. You should be entitled to ask for a percentage of the project’s value upfront and may be […]
For a lot of new businesses it is possible that because you signed up for various ongoing services – like insurance policies or web hosting packages – at around the same time, all your annual payments tend to be due at the same time. For better cash flow, ask regular creditors whether you can rearrange […]
When you’re busy, it’s easy to attend to the most demanding clients and forget others. Remember, though, that it is not always the loudmouth who should get your attention. Sometimes your best clients are the ones who, when they see that you deliver on the job you promised, will become repeat clients so it is […]
Everyone’s always complaining about staff retention, but the secrets to keeping staff happy aren’t farfetched and impossible to implement; in fact, they’re quite simple. Try the following, and watch for the changes: Be involved in your business: staff often enjoy working for someone who cares and interacts with them. This is also a great way […]
You didn’t spend countless hours building your business, to watch it be destroyed by lax security. So make sure you do the research, and take all of the necessary precautions; even if it means keeping updated by attending security awareness training. Here are a few security tips to get you started: Back everything up! Treat […]
For many, creating a website is a daunting process, which is why so many evolving businesses ignore the importance of an online presence. But if you’re not online, you’re literally missing out on millions of potential business opportunities. Here are some facts that might change your mind: Annual website costs can be relatively low, with […]
Flexibility is becoming the norm when it comes to retaining staff, but how about offering free time? Rather than giving away leave that might go towards running errands, encourage creativity in your staff by allowing them to use company resources to develop their ideas. Some of these ideas may feed back into the business, but […]
When you’ve been running a business for a while, it can be hard to see where to make improvements or how to take your business to the next level. Temporarily removing yourself from your business, and even your industry, and taking a look at other businesses in other industries can help you see your business […]
The advantage of starting a business is you have an opportunity to develop things off a clean slate before bad habits become entrenched. Whether you are a sole trader or have staff, standardised communication makes your interactions with people more professional. You might think of standardising: Telephone greetings; Voicemail greetings; Email signatures; Prospective correspondence, e.g. […]
Economic reality sees costs increase, therefore your prices may need to follow if you want to maintain your margins. Cost cutting, either through eradicating unnecessary expenses or improving efficiency or productivity, is one way to maintain margins, but if you’ve exhausted this option, raising your prices may be the next step. Review your expenses regularly […]
We now live in a world where everything is negotiable, so don’t be surprised if your customers want a deal. However, just because you bend your prices or add value to your product doesn’t mean you should let the quality of your offering slide. After striking a deal with a customer, make sure the delivery […]
Software may look expensive, but if you find out what you really need, as opposed to what you think you need, then you may discover that quality software is often available for free. Accounting software, for example, needn’t be a complex system you need to buy, install, and then take a course on. Most businesses […]
Want to be a good leader? Don’t we all. Well, believe it or not, social skills are key. If your employees don’t like you, or trust you, then your chances of succeeding are limited. But there’s more to being a good leader, and successfully managing your business, than just being nice. For starters, confidence goes […]
