Author: T Gregory

How to Get Customers to Come Back and Make Another Purchase

Posted on by T Gregory

Getting a customer to come in for the first time is a challenge, but the real goal is to help them come in again and again. If you are trying to figure out how to turn your one-time customers into lifetime customers, there are many things you can do to help make that happen. The better you are able to connect with your customers, the easier it will be for you to help them get what they need.

Give Them a Great Experience the First Time

Customers are more likely to return to places they already had good experiences with. That means you need to help your customers to have the best possible experience the very first time they interact with your business. Listening to their needs and giving them helpful information can really help your customers to have a better time and love your business more. Also, this will help them to remember your business fondly so the next time they need a product or service you provide, they will look for your business first.

Remind Them You Exist

Once your customer finishes their purchase, they may not think about your business anymore. But that doesn’t have to be the case! Collecting contact information can help you to keep your customers informed about upcoming events and sales so they stay in touch with what your business has to offer. In the world of the internet, you have even more options to help your customers remember that your business exists. You can even personalize push notifications for each customer’s individual needs.

Start a Referral Program

A referral program can be a great way to get customers in for the first time, but it can also be a good method for bringing your current customers back. When you set up your referral program, come up with a way to reward your current customers for making referrals. The best rewards actually bring the customers back to the store, like a gift card or a great discount. When you make a referral worth your customers’ time, they will be more likely to make great referrals and keep coming back.

Your business is already great, you just have to spend a little time bringing in the customers you are trying to keep. Having return customers is a great part of a sustainable business model. When you can connect with your customers you will build stronger relationships and loyalty.

An awesome website is a great first step to getting customers to return! Check out our web development packages here!

How to Increase Morale Among Your Employees

Posted on by T Gregory

Employee morale is imperative to the success of your business. Employees with low morale will do worse work, be less productive, and foster poor work culture. Increasing employee morale will help your employees be more productive, which in turn will help your business be successful. You can increase morale by building trust, giving them more autonomy, and promoting a work-life balance.

Build Trust

Trust is essential in building a strong workforce. The most important elements of trust are transparency, respect, unity, showing you care, and trust building activities. Trust helps promote a positive work environment and will produce results. It can take a long time to build up trust, so it is imperative to foster an environment of trust from the beginning. You must work hard to ensure that the trust is not broken, or it is reconciled immediately. A good start to calculating trust is reflecting on if your expectations are clear, you are reliable, there is no gossip among the team, team members perform on their tasks, and if you trust your employees with new responsibilities.

Give Them More Autonomy

In the workplace, autonomy is giving your employees freedom with their work. This doesn’t mean they should work in isolation; however, it gives employees the empowerment to be a self-starter and take control over their work. Empowering employees to improve their jobs can boost morale and improve job satisfaction. When you give your employees autonomy, this signals trust. When employees feel trusted, they will more likely do quality work.

Promote Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is very important to the morale of your employees. About 20% of workers spend 5 or more hours at work with stress from their home life. Your workers are human beings with a life outside of their job. Their life could be very stressful with having a family, home responsibilities, health, and finances. Giving your employees options to manage these stressors is imperative to their morale. You can help with these stressors by offering flexible schedules, paid time off, and working from home options. This will allow you employees time to take care of their home life which will help them have more energy for their work.

Building trust, giving employees autonomy, and promoting a work-life balance will help to increase your employee’s morale. This will require being proactive. An increased morale will help your employees do quality work and help your business thrive.

Read this next: Methodologies That Help Businesses Achieve Their Potential

Roadblocks Almost Every Business is Facing Right Now

Posted on by T Gregory

Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and its residual aftermath is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Businesses are facing unusual roadblocks that were nonexistent two years ago. To be successful, a business must adapt to their changing environment. Roadblocks almost every business is facing right now include keeping employees, supply chain issues, and finding customers. 

Keeping Employees 

One of the main challenges companies are facing post-pandemic is how to keep their employees. During the pandemic, people got used to the flexibility of remote work. According to PWC, employees are now willing to leave their jobs to maintain this flexibility, rather than return to the office. However, not every employee enjoys remote work, and not every job can adapt to remote workdays. It is important to consider the preference of your employees with where they work, health benefits, and attractive perks. This keeps you competitive in attracting and retaining the best talent your industry has to offer. 

Supply Chain Issues 

During the pandemic, operations across the world were halted. This has caused a severe supply chain issue with receiving items needed to operate. Bottlenecks around the world have caused record shortages of many products that consumers are used to having readily available. For example, the construction industry can’t deliver because of a shortage of crucial materials like lumbar. 

To combat this, it is wise to have multiple suppliers for your business. Healthy relationships between suppliers will put your needs at the top of the priority list. As Franchise Gator points out, staying in contact with your suppliers can help you be prepared. Thus, helping you reduce the impact supply chain issues have on your business. 

Finding Customers 

The number of existing businesses in every industry is astounding. There are countless companies competing for your customer’s attention. Even the biggest, most successful companies must work to find and retain customers. Finding customers starts with a clearly defined target audience. A specific client base will help you create content that caters specifically to your target demographic. Increase your brand awareness by getting more specific with marketing efforts. Public relations will also help build your brand and customer awareness. 

Today’s world presents unique challenges every competitive business must overcome. If you cannot compete in your management and manufacturing processes, you cannot compete for revenue. Remaining steady and flexible puts you in a better position to adjust easily to current roadblocks every business is currently facing.

Read this next: Methodologies That Help Businesses Achieve Their Potential

How Managers Can Earn the Trust of Their Employees

Posted on by T Gregory

If you are a manager, you probably started out under the supervision of a manager at some point in your career. Which means you know that not every manager is good or trustworthy. A workforce that trusts their manager is happier and more productive than workforces that do not trust their manager. So how can you gain the trust of your employees as a manager? Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.

Recognize Employees Success

People crave recognition. This is true of almost every single person, introvert or extrovert, people want to feel that their contributions are seen and appreciated. As a manager, it is your responsibility to let your employees know that you see and appreciate their successes at the business. Nobody likes a manager who takes credit for the work of those they manage. Try implementing incentives and rewards for achievement at the workplace, and celebrate those achievements. Making a habit of celebrating the successes of your employees is essential to fostering trust with your employees.

Show Leadership

Strong leadership fosters trust and respect. And strong leadership involves hands-on interaction and involvement with all levels of production and work taking place at your business. Being a person that interacts with and engages with employees makes you feel more approachable as a manager and more invested in your employees. A great way to show leadership in this way is to use Gemba walks. A Gemba walk is when a manager or supervisor walks through the office on the production floor and observes first-hand what is going on at work, and how it is being done, while also speaking with employees. When supervisors conduct Gemba walks, they facilitate communication with the workforce.

Listen to Your Employees

Your employees are the ones that are doing the day-to-day work that is the business. This means that they are likely the first ones to notice areas that need change, bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and inconveniences at work. If you listen to your employees regularly, and implement the changes and adjustments that they ask for, your employees will begin to trust that you have their best interests at heart. Allowing your employees to have a say in how things are run can help them trust you more and work with you better.

Gaining the trust of your employees is not an easy task. Managers don’t always have great relationships with their employees, but this itself is an unnecessary bottleneck at work. Try a few of these strategies to gain the trust of your employees at work, and you will see the increases in morale and productivity that trust will garner.

Read this next: How to Get Help with Your Small Business Plan

Methodologies That Help Businesses Achieve Their Potential

Posted on by T Gregory

When a business achieves its potential, they have reached operational, customer, and metric goals. Still, for most businesses these goals change overtime to fit the new directions of the company. Because of this, it can be difficult to stay on track with progress. Methodologies that will help your business achieve their potential keep you on track towards success, and include the following!

Total Quality Management

Total quality management pertains to the operations of the business. Without a quality management system, you cannot complete work or consistently satisfy customers. Businesses that have quality management programs focus on clarifying the business’s vision, mission, and values. This gives the company a direction they can then follow. Management should also identify critical success factors that will help the organization come closer to achieving their potential. For example, what are the financial, customer relation, and employee objectives? Identifying goals and developing ways to measure progress towards those goals will encourage development within the company.

Six Sigma

The Six Sigma methodology eliminates problems by analyzing the processes that those problems result from. Ultimately, you want to reduce defects for your total product. Six Sigma focuses on measuring quality to achieve perfection. To implement this methodology into your businesses, try focusing on reducing output errors. Improve your business operations with metrics, methodology and philosophy. You can also focus on lowering production costs to retain more customers. The Six Sigma is great for empowering your employees and your business to be closer to achieving goals.

Customer Reviews

You customers are what make or break your business. It has truthfully been said that it’s cheaper to gain a new customer than retain a new one. Look at your customer metrics; if you have a high turnover rate, you need to consider ways you can improve long-term customer relationships. Customer feedback is a powerful tool in helping you identify what your company is doing right and what they can do better. When a disproportionate amount of reviews tend towards the negative, don’t take it personally. Instead, take it as an opportunity to learn.

Helping your business achieve its potential is a constant process. Perfection is never achieved, but the quest for perfection will make you that much better in the end. When evaluating what your business can do better, use things such as the total quality management system, the six sigma methodology, or customer feedback.

Read this next: How to Get Help with Your Small Business Plan

Perks You Should Offer to Repeat Customers of Your Online Business

Posted on by T Gregory

In the online marketplace, competition is steeper than ever. There are probably other businesses selling similar products to you, and, in addition to other online businesses, you are also competing with brick and mortar stores. Earning and retaining repeat customers can be achieved by employing some tried and tested strategies to make customers feel valued. 

Free Shipping

Free shipping is a great perk for repeat customers. You may have a purchase minimum for free shipping, but consider rescinding, lowering, or eliminating the minimum. Gifting your repeat customers with free shipping shows you appreciate their business, gaining their loyalty, and keeping them coming back. Customers are more likely to buy knowing they do not have to pay the added cost of shipping. Offering free shipping has also been shown to cause customers to spend more money than they would if they had to pay for shipping. It also gives you an advantage over your competitors who do not offer this perk.

Rewards Points

Many major retailers have rewards points programs. These programs encourage customers to spend more money with the promise of a reward if they earn a certain amount of points. This incentive keeps customers coming back. Loyalty points should be redeemable online and in-store if you have a physical location. Another benefit of having a loyalty program in place is that you will be able to gain more data about your customers, including your spending habits. Customers will typically only sign up for loyalty programs if they are interested in returning to your store, which helps you weed out one-time visitors.

Offer Special Discounts

You should also consider offering special discounts for your loyal customers. This could be early access to a certain weekend sale or a special discount coupon. If you offer items that you do not usually allow coupons to be used on, offer the chance to use these coupons on specialty items to your repeat customers. You may consider using a special discount code on your online site so you can track how many customers use it. Special discount codes make repeat customers feel special, endearing them to your business.

Finding and retaining repeat customers is not as simple as it was in the past. You have to be creative with the perks and benefits you choose to offer to gain a loyal following. Loyal customers are more likely to share your brand with their friends, which can only cause your business to grow.

Read this next: How to Get Help with Your Small Business Plan

Types of Records Every Business Needs to Keep

Posted on by T Gregory

When you decided to pursue a career in business you probably weren’t thinking about all the records that you need to keep. However, even if it isn’t your passion, you still need to keep records of various aspects of your business in order to be successful in the business world. As you learn the fundamentals of running a business, make sure to include the upkeep of these records.

Financial Records

First and foremost, you need to be keeping very careful track of your finances and any money that comes in or out of your business. Having meticulous financial records will help you to have a clear understanding of your business’s financial situation. It will also help you to always pay your taxes accurately and take advantage of any deductions that can help you save money. Your financial records give you a thorough accounting of the business you have done and how successfully you have been able to perform so you can make pointed improvements.

Incident Reports

Things can go wrong in even the safest environments, and when problems do occur it is important that you keep a record of them. Sometimes incidents will be related to an accident in the workplace while other records will be about interactions between employees or customers. OSHA requires businesses to keep a log of serious injuries on the job. By maintaining a thorough record you can protect your company and also make changes to improve working conditions as you learn from problems in the past.

Employee Records

There are many documents that go into hiring, and that’s for good reason. You should keep track of all employee records, including signed documents proving they are an employee as well as documentation of their performance, good or ill, to back up your later decisions on giving raises or terminating the employee. Federal agencies may also contact you for proof in a lawsuit. The length you keep these records depends on their kind, so check carefully before throwing anything away!

Keeping records isn’t the most riveting part of a job, but it is a necessary part of a running business. Keeping records is always helpful and in some cases, it is legally required. As a business owner it is your job to make sure that you are keeping accurate records and that you ensure they are safely stored.

Read this next: Why Training Should Be a Top Priority for Your Business

How to Get Help with Your Small Business Plan

Posted on by T Gregory

No one has it all figured out. Being on your own, especially when first composing a business plan, results in a lost opportunity to avoid the mistakes others have already made. You can get a lot of advice in the age of the internet, of course, but finding true help usually takes a bit more effort. When drafting your small business plan, you’ll cover all your bases by getting help through the following avenues!

Find a Mentor

The best and hardest way to find help is personal mentorship. That means not just searching up articles on business strategies and plans, but having a real professional look at your plan and analyze it personally. While you can hire someone, there are lots of ways to do this organically—such as going to local networking events, going to small business development centers, joining a professional or trade association, and even connecting with volunteer mentors through nonprofit organizations such as SCORE. Rebecca Radice recommends networking over social media as well! Really, there are a lot of options and a lot of opportunities to take advantage of, if only you put in the work for it.

Loan Programs

When putting together a business plan, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is funding. If you’re struggling in this area, a great avenue of help are the Small Business Administration (SBA) loans available for most startups. According to Franchise Gator, SBA loans are backed by the government and tend to come with better rates than many banks. While there are many kinds, generally they require a minimum credit score, no recent bankruptcies or foreclosures, and at least a 10% down payment from the business. In return, interest rates are lower, repayment terms are longer, and $30,000 or more is available. This can be a big advantage to a business plan that requires a lot of capital.

Research Professional Advice

While you can’t trust everything the internet tells you, you can find a lot of helpful resources in certain places. Following professionals on social media and subscribing to newsletters and blogs in your field can give you insider knowledge about the industry you’re going into even if you don’t know anyone personally. According to Time Doctor, business podcasts can be extremely helpful as well. You can even take accredited classes online to help you model the perfect business according to your vision.

In the end, it’s up to you to make the best decisions for your startup. Ignoring help is never a smart idea, however. If you’re searching for help with your business plan, look for it in multiple avenues—you never know what resources and programs are out there!

Read next: What New Entrepreneurs Should Think About Before Starting a Business

How to Optimize Your Website for All Potential Customers

Posted on by T Gregory

Your website is one of the most important interfaces for you to interact with your customers. Making it user-friendly for all kinds of users will make a big difference in this interaction. Applying even a few of these suggestions could have major benefits for you in the long-run.

Make it More Accessible

Making your website more accessible is a great way to help improve everyone’s experience on your site. There are a variety of features you can provide—start by making sure that your website is translation friendly for a variety of different languages. You may also want to add different features that help blind people access the site.

Additionally, try to make your site intuitive. Make sure that the respective pages are relatively easy to find, that key buttons are highly visible, and that there is a helpful FAQ page.

Source: http://nda.ie/resources/accessibility-toolkit/make-your-websites-more-accessible/ 

Make Sure It Works on Mobile

You should also put your resources into making sure that your website is mobile friendly. Consumers do 43 percent of their product research on a mobile device. 43 percent is no small amount. You could be losing major business if people are hopping onto another website on their phones because yours is hard to navigate.

Make sure that your website loads quickly on a phone and that the drop-down menu is easily accessible with the most important tabs highlighted front and center. It’s best to have a professional website designer help you make your website mobile friendly because it can be complicated.

Source: https://www.podium.com/article/sms-marketing-statistics/ 

Add a Blog

One of the best ways you can make your website do more work for you is to add a blog feature to your site. Having a blog allows you to act as an expert in your particular field, providing important relevant content to your followers, clients, and potential clients.

Work to understand the things your followers want to learn about. Focus your articles on those interests as they relate to your products and the problems your products intend to solve.

Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/business-benefits-of-blogging/377747/ 

As you work to improve your website and to make it more accessible for a wide variety of users, make sure that you look at the whole picture. Identify the areas where your website needs to be improved most and make sure that you are then centering your changes on the customers’ needs. As you make little and big changes to your website, it will have a meaningful difference on your users’ experience online.

We can help you to make a great website that has all the things you want. Get started here!

What New Entrepreneurs Should Think About Before Starting a Business

Posted on by T Gregory

If you have been thinking about starting your own business for a while now, now may be a good time to really go for it. As you do your research to identify your product viability, make sure that you are also making adequate efforts to be prepared once you actually launch your business. With the right preparation, you can go into this new chapter with much more confidence.

Your Goals

According to Bplans, setting clear goals for your company’s growth before you start your company will help you not only be more successful when you launch, but it will also help you know how to better gauge and measure your progress.

Being able to compare how you expect your company to perform with how it actually performs will help you identify any gaps in self-expectations, helping you to better predict performance in the future.

How to Fund Your Business

Any business that has high potential to succeed will need funding to get off the ground. Finding the right funding and finding enough funding can be challenging but doing the work to get those resources will definitely pay off.

According to Franchise Gator, not being able to get a loan is a common startup fear. But don’t let it stop you from going forward—remember to do your research to find other investment options as well. There are a variety of different companies who focus on investing in startups. You might be surprised by the various companies who are willing to provide some kind of funding for your business.

Your Target Audience

Figuring out your business goals and your funding plan is an important step when preparing to launch your business. But according to Oberlo, you should also make sure that you really understand your target audience in order to be sure that your product will actually be addressing customer needs.

As you prepare to launch your business, do your research on competitor products to understand what aspects of the product result in customer loyalty. Figure out how your product compares and if its edge is significant enough to hold up in the marketplace.

Starting a business, especially if this is your first one, can be incredibly daunting. This is especially true if starting your business involves you leaving, your current job. But don’t let your fears get in the way of you having this experience—knowing how to launch a company will serve you well in future endeavors.

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