Category: Business

The classic business bag has evolved to accommodate each user’s unique preferences and requirements. It has now become a must-have item for any dedicated professional, thanks to its sleek and relaxing qualities. 

You’re mistaken if you think carrying a briefcase is going out of style. Carrying a briefcase has a lot of advantages. Continue reading to learn why you should take a briefcase to work.

1. Look Professional

You’ve heard the phrase “first impressions are everything.” Having a briefcase on you gives the idea that you know what you’re doing and can handle any situation. For a first day on the job, they’re especially good first impressions.

Bringing a briefcase to work communicates that you are serious about your work. To emphasize the idea even further, pair your briefcase with a leather tablet case. The point is that a well-designed briefcase can alter the way your coworkers and superiors see you.

Making a good first impression with potential employers and clients is important. With that in mind, you’ll want to show yourself well in front of them. 

Professionalism, identification, and authority are considered to be associated with carrying a business bag. Professors, lawyers, legislators, and even physicians are frequently seen traveling and going to work with a business bag.

2. It is useful

A majority of corporate employees say that the modern business bag has become a convenient and portable solution. It can also protect your possessions from dirt and other potential risks that could cause lasting damage.

Business briefcases are also meant to carry your stationery, devices, and other critical goods, as most professionals no longer manage paperwork alone. It contains several inner and exterior compartments to keep your belongings safe.

You may also have the choice of not putting anything in the pockets of your blazer or pants when traveling using this bag function. A business briefcase can hold your coffee mug, water bottle, umbrella, and other everyday necessities.  

It also contains small compartments for things like flash drives, pins, pens, and keys. Place your commonly used things in the outside portions to make it easier for you to access them.

Furthermore, to keep your gadget secure, you should choose a briefcase with the appropriate pouch size. While you’re commuting, you don’t want your laptop or tablet to move. During the workday, you can also utilize your briefcase as a laptop stand. 

3. It is long-lasting

It is preferable to purchase briefcases made of high-quality materials when shopping for them. Thankfully, leather is used in almost every business briefcase. 

Regardless of how often you use them, high-quality leather briefcases can survive for a long time. Additionally, if you learn how to properly clean and care for it, your purchase could become an heirloom piece. Great leather also resists fading, which adds to its durability. 

Taking all of this into consideration, make sure you only buy genuine leather. Faux leather or low-cost materials may crack or become unpleasant over time. As a result, you may feel pressured to buy another one. Don’t be afraid to spend money on high-quality things that will last you for years.

4. It is available in a variety of styles

Aside from its different design characteristics, business briefcases now come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, patterns, and other variations. 

You can also wear it with a strap or carry it like a handbag. Its adaptability has been enhanced by all of these various forms and designs. 

To make things easier for you, choose a bag that will go with the majority of your everyday office attire as well as your formal attire. This allows you to get the most out of your custom briefcase and utilize it for any occasion. A business bag can help you put together a complete look for the day.

Final word

Today’s business briefcase has evolved into a classic work companion that is both attractive and effective as a result of all of the upgraded improvements and features. Eventually, it has become a must-have item for both entrepreneurs and professionals who want to look their best. 

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Opening your own medical clinics or private practice is certainly rewarding. But it can also bring new challenges every day for being a business with significant costs and some unexpected expenses.

In addition to its more obvious monthly costs, such as operating expenses and payment of doctors and staff, there may be a need to periodically invest in training and updating, marketing, business-related travels, and even in the purchase of new and more modern pieces of equipment.

All things considered, sometimes your clinic may need to budget to make ends meet. If you’re trying to cut some costs, follow these tips to avoid unnecessary expenses, especially the ghost of debt.

1. Update Your Inventory

If your clinic has been around for a while, you’ve probably noticed that there are a lot of items in stock that you use very little or never. Take some time to go through inventory to see what you have an excess as this can help you save money on orders in the future.

There are some simple ways to keep inventory smaller:

• Sort Items by Demand– You can avoid large volumes of every item by sorting them into three groups: the most important, the least frequently used, and those you rarely use. That way, you’ll be able to focus on the items that your clinic needs to have in larger quantities.
• Avoid Large Orders– Instead of a large purchase of many items, choose to order smaller and more frequently. This allows you to purchase only the items that are in greatest demand, avoiding overloading your inventory.
• Update Your Inventory– Some older clinics have the habit of continuing to buy some obsolete items that have little or no demand “just in case.” These products have often been replaced by new, better ones. Updating your inventory can eliminate useless items and save money.

2. Utilize RCM

Do you understand what revenue cycle management is? If your clinic can’t efficiently keep track of a patient’s trajectory from the first visit to the billing after a treatment, you may want to better some of your processes.

Revenue cycle management (RCM) is your clinic’s most important financial process, and something you shouldn’t overlook, so consider investing in RCM software. By retiring paperwork and digitizing processes, you ensure a more transparent and error-free billing process, maintain better records and up-to-date patient information, improve the patient experience, and save time and money.

3. Go Back to the Basics

A medical clinic can have a series of extra expenses without even realizing it. How many magazine subscriptions do you pay monthly just so your customers have something to read in their waiting room? What about holiday decorations: do you use the same or buy new items each year?

If you’re trying to balance your bills, this is a great moment to go back to the basics and re-evaluate some of these expenses. Cutting one or two can save money without big sacrifices. After all, you can resume all this once you are more financially stable.

4. Rent Out Extra Space

If your clinic takes up more space than it really needs, you might also consider renting out space for another clinic or professional or even providing some rooms for after-hours classes or training.

Here are some things to note if you intend to rent out extra space:

• Identify the available space possibilities and whether the act of renting it will not interfere with your daily activity.
• Evaluate all extra operating costs so that you can define a fair rental value.
• Consult a professional to check your legal limitations.
• Consider that there are some risks in opening your business space to others (property loss, injury, even theft).

5. Cut Back on Advertising Costs

If you are still investing heavily in traditional advertising (magazines and newspapers, radio, TV, billboards), it might be a good time to step back and save this money using social media to advertise for free.

In addition to being a form of free advertising, social media ads are also easier to manage on your own. You can create a blog and publish articles on healthcare promoting the doctors who work in your clinic. Then link to these articles on your clinic’s social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.

Follow the trends in likes and views. If they’re low at first, encourage your patients to interact with the posts and share them, increasing their reach.

Financial Health Matters Too

Starting or maintaining a small business brings a series of expenses and risks, and it is no different with medical clinics. Keeping your expenses under control should be a regular practice, as healthcare is an industry that requires a lot of costs—some of them completely unexpected.

While saving money seems challenging at first, proper planning will show that it’s possible to fit a budget and even save some money when superfluous expenses are cut. Don’t overlook the financial health of your business: it is just as important as the health of your patients.

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The whole point of setting up a business is to earn some money with your ideas and innovations. However, nobody starts at the top, and success does not happen instantly. There will come a time when you can barely keep up with the business cash flow that you’d have to hire an accounting department and use expense management software as a requirement. But until then, you need to find ways to manage your money wisely to improve your business financial situation.

Why is Financial Management Important for Small Businesses?

The reason why small businesses need smart financial management is a no-brainer. You need to handle your company’s finances through careful planning to succeed. If you don’t handle your business finances properly, you might end up with much less than when you started.

Money management involves budgeting, setting goals, tracking expenses and income, and investing.

Contrary to what you may think, it is never too early to start using financial tools like expense management software and other accounting programs. They save time and keep the process efficient. Adding them to your process at a later time is an option too, you just need to look for a user-friendly expense management software to make your transition from manual methods to a more automated process.

Effective money management involves understanding your company’s cash flow. Effective financial management can avoid periods of negative cash flow and keep your business’s financial health in tip-top shape.

Ways to Improve Your Business Financial Situation with Money Management

Here are some money management tips to help you improve your business financial situation:

Keep track of your deadlines.

Running a business involves dealing with several bills for your operations. You need to make sure that you are on top of your deadlines to ensure that you don’t incur more expenses in the form of penalties. Keep track of your accounts payables, loan payments, credit card payments, electricity bill payments, etc.

You can record when your bills are due and set reminders so you don’t forget when you need to pay. You can also use expense management software that has notification or reminder features so that you will be reminded of your due dates.

Track expenses.

You’d be surprised how many small businesses fail to track their expenses initially. Especially involving smaller purchases like office supplies. However, recording each and every one of your expenditures is important to help you evaluate the value they bring to your business.

On top of that, you need a detailed report of your expenses for accurately filing your taxes. Expense report management software and digital financial tools can help you track your expenses better and export a complete report with just a few clicks on your computer.

Keep your business and personal funds separate.

It will be confusing to manage your finances when your business and personal funds are in the same place. Imagine if you need to look for a specific transaction record and check it against your account– since your business and personal funds are in one place, you will have to go through your personal financial records as well. This situation can result in disorganized records. You can also end up using personal funds for business vice versa. You will need to track business expenses separately if you want to be reimbursed in time for out-of-pocket expenses. 

Time your purchases wisely.

Do not make purchases before you have paid all your bills. You also need to make sure that you have enough funds to cover new expenses. Consider buying tax-deductible items like supplies before the end of the year so you can claim them on your tax return.

Budget.

Set expense limits and revenue goals. Having a budget or a financial plan will help you improve your business’s financial situation. Your budget will help you manage your funds better. It gives you the opportunity to allot funds or adjust allocations according to what the company needs at that time.

Budget plans play a part in forecasting your possible revenue. Having an idea of how much your revenue is allows you to find ways to cut expenses to increase income whenever necessary.

Check your inventories.

You should check your inventories to confirm if you truly need the items you are planning to purchase for the company. If you find that some items are just collecting dust in your storage room, then you should take them out of your list. Knowing what’s in your inventories will help you allocate your funds where you need them.

Evaluate if your ROI is worth the expenditures.

Compare your expenses to your ROI to see if you are investing your resources in the right things. You need to assess your strategy every once in a while to make sure that it is still working in your favor. If your expenditures are not paying off, then you need to cut back and see where you need improvements.

Bottomline

You can improve your business financial situation by being smart about your expenses and investments. You can take control of your finances by understanding your expenses. You need to understand when to push and when to cut back. 

Since understanding your expenses is one of the most important steps of managing your business finances, you may need to use smart expense software for a more efficient process. It will help you simplify the process by automating some steps and keeping your records organized. 

Author’s Bio

Danielle works with Fyle in changing expense management as we know it. She understands how overwhelming the process of tracking cost operations can be, which is why she is passionate about sharing tips, news, and information on how to simplify expense management. Danielle shares information based on her experience with Fyle– and expense management software that helps streamline and automate the pre-accounting process.

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Retailers are opening up to technology and they are adopting it at a faster pace. However, as retail technology is taking up space in stores and online, retailers can’t forget about the human touch. The employees are a big part of the whole business and without them, customers can’t receive the whole shopping experience. 

As more stores offer self-services, retailers should find the right way to balance the human touch with retail tech. That’s why in this article you will learn more about how to find that balance and how you can train your employees to offer an amazing shopping experience.

How can retail tech help elevate customer experience?

Technology is shaping the future of retail and it comes with many benefits for both retailers and brands. But how does technology impact customer experience? 

More convenient

Convenience is key in retail. If people have to struggle to buy a product from your store or to order it from your platform, then they will leave to your competition. Convenience doesn’t mean making great changes. You can start with smaller ones. 

For example, self-checkout is one of the best uses of technology in-store. Everybody hates standing in line just to pay for their groceries. With a self-checkout option, people who are in a hurry can go, scan their products, and pay for them in a matter of seconds. 

More entertaining

Retail technology can make the shopping experience much more entertaining. For instance, brand activation solutions like Tokinomo can help you engage with your customers and make them purchase more. With the help of Tokinomo, products can promote themselves. 

People are definitely going to be amazed and entertained when they hear a bag of flour talking to them. 

More pleasant

Shoppers come into the store because they want to have the whole shopping experience. In-store, customers can see, smell, touch, and compare products. They also come to the store for the atmosphere. The gentle music playing in the background, the smell of baked goods, and the perfectly lined products on the shelves. All of these play an important role. 

With the help of retail robots like Millie, retailers can make sure that the aisles are always clean and the store is hazard-free. Millie spots leaks, spills, and any other hazards and solves the problem without even alerting the staff. 

How to balance retail tech with the human touch

Yes, technology in-store is a must nowadays. However, it needs to be balanced with the human touch because people come into the store to interact with other people, not with technology. Having the right staff can help you elevate the shopping experience. 

As Shep Hyken says, employees have an awesome responsibility. The way they act is the way shoppers are going to perceive that brand. For example, if your employees are super helpful and always try to provide the best service, customers will come back to the store because of that attitude, not because of the big discounts.

Train your employees

First, work with your employees and show them how you want your store to be perceived by customers. Explain what type of customer service they should offer and how involved or not they should be. Some stores offer assistance, while others leave the customer to shop at their own pace.

Also, employees shouldn’t fear technology, they should embrace it. Teach your employees how to use retail tech so that they can then help customers learn how to use it. 

Combine retail technology with human interaction

Even for self-checkout, you should have an employee there who can help shoppers in case they don’t know how to use it or if they simply need assistance. While you might have a customer service robot, you should also make sure that you have staff who can help customers with additional information. 

Tell your staff that tech is not there to replace them, it’s there to increase their productivity, help them get rid of boring or difficult tasks, and enhance the customer experience. 

Use tech and employees for the right tasks

It is better to use technology for boring, repetitive, and demanding tasks. When it comes to customer support, customer service, or anything revolving around the human connection, you should leave it to the employees. They can offer information, guide people, and give insights that retail tech can’t. 

Adopting technology shouldn’t be a scary process for your employees, it should make them feel more empowered, productive. Also, it is going to show them that they are needed for more important tasks. Technology should come as an addition to the great service provided by retail employees. 

Author bio: 

Nicoleta Niculescu is a Content Marketing Specialist at Tokinomo, the ultimate brand activation solution for retailers and consumer goods brands. Tokinomo advertising robots bring CPG products to life on the shelf and lift sales by an average of 200%.

Do you need to maximize the space you have in your salon? Whether your salon is located in a salon suite or a smaller space, it’s critical for you and your people to know how you can make the most of the area to maximize your business and revenue potential.

Luckily, for even the smallest of spaces, there are many design and decor hacks that you can apply to your salon to breathe new life into the look and feel, as well as give you more room.

Even if you have all the space in the world — lucky you — you can certainly apply these techniques to give your salon that sought-after open floor concept.

S​​ource: Minerva Beauty

Moving In? Size Up Your Salon’s Square Footage First

If you’re moving into a new salon that’s smaller than you anticipated and you’re wondering just how you will fit everything into it, calculate the size of your salon and the room you need to fit the equipment you want. How do you do that? You will need to take the square footage of your salon and divide it by 175. Why 175? Well, 175 sq. ft. is the average space each stylist will need in order to do their job comfortably. This will give you a great idea of how much equipment you can fit into your salon layout without it feeling too cramped. You will also be able to realize opportunities for fun things like decor once you tackle the necessities. You can design your salon with this free floor plan creator!

Space-Saving Salon Hacks

Now that you have done the hard math and you have an idea of how your salon layout will look, let’s explore some ways to open up your salon and give you more space.

• Invest in Double-Sided Salon Stations – Your clients and stylists will be spending the majority of their time at your salon stations, and to keep business growing, you can’t cut back in this area. However, what you can do is invest in double-sided salon stations. Not only will this maximize the potential appointments you can book, but it doubles your capacity while also saving space. You will want to place these salon stations in the middle of your salon so that your stylists and clients have room to move comfortably.

Source: Minerva Beauty

• Leverage Wall Storage – When you are operating in a small salon, finding places for organized and neat storage can be difficult. We highly recommend leveraging wall shelves as storage for products, towels, supplies and more. Since these wall shelves aren’t hidden away in a storage cabinet, they will need to be cleaned and organized regularly so that they look neat. Using wall shelves also allows you to free up floor space so that your stylists can use portable salon carts to carry their products and tools.
• Portable Equipment Can Provide More Flexibility – Sometimes, in smaller spaces, portability is a huge advantage for salon owners, managers and stylists. Being able to easily move equipment can open up the space and allow you to change the layout to accommodate business growth and other opportunities. Using a portable shampoo bowl, for example, is not only extremely convenient for the client, but it’s also a huge space-saving technique. In addition, pairing a portable shampoo bowl with a reclining all-purpose chair can help save space by having one chair to use for everything.
• Keep Decor Minimal – In any salon space, it can be tempting to want to add extravagant decorations or cute touches like a glam couch or chic and modern floor shelves. In a small salon, though, it’s best to keep decor to a minimum so that you can maximize your wall and floor space. We also believe that small salons should still have an overall look and aesthetic. With that in mind, when you’re decorating, choose things that don’t eat up precious space. For example, a neon wall sign makes quite the statement but doesn’t limit your space-saving opportunities. Besides, the minimalist aesthetic and salon are totally trendy right now.
• Don’t Skimp on the Retail, Reception and Waiting Areas – If you are looking for ways to add more space to your salon, your first thought may be to make the waiting area or reception and retail space much smaller. However, we advise against doing this. Not only does the retail, reception and waiting area serve as the first impression of your salon, but it’s also a place you want your clients to feel comfortable sitting in. You also want to make sure you are giving yourself prime space to sell retail products, which can stand to positively impact your business. The use of wall shelves to show off retail products is a great use of space. You should also have a receptionist desk that looks great and feels comfortable for your people. You can also finish off your waiting area with a chic loveseat.

Source: Minerva Beauty

• Open the Space Up with Bright, White Paint and Mirrors – Just because your salon space is small doesn’t mean that it has to feel small and claustrophobic. A few ways you can instantly brighten up the space and make it appear more spacious and open is by applying a fresh coat of white paint to the walls. White will breathe new life into your salon and make it appear more open. You can also add floor mirrors or wall-mounted mirrors to the space to bring in more light and make the space feel larger.
• Stagger Appointment Times – One way you can optimize your salon’s space on the scheduling aspect of things is to have a staggered booking set up. This way, clients can be spread out among the salon for different services. Staggered appointments can minimize the frustration and discomfort your guests and stylists may experience in a tight space.

Are you ready to give your space a facelift and a new look and feel? We hope these space-saving strategies lead you and your stylists to the salon space you need.

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Entrepreneurship is a journey that involves a myriad of things that should be done right for a better outcome. Before starting a business, you must be well versed with many different things and strategies to sail through successfully. After all, you’re not the only one in the business. You’ll find many existing businesses similar to yours which have a little bit of reputation. This means there are higher chances of getting it tough when you start. However, with patience and hard work, you’ll still begin to make money slowly by slowly. The recent technological trends have shifted the market to the digital space. Statistics show that at least 80% of people search for products and services online before purchasing them. They also make comparisons to get the best products and services. This means that the need for having a business website can’t be underestimated. There are many web design companies that can help you create a great webpage that’ll attract many people. All you have to do is to search over google and use the keyword “website design companies near me“, and you’ll surely find professionals who can assist you with your needs. 

Additionally, you need proper planning and making sound decisions so that you can get running. 

Below are 4 things to consider before starting your own business:

1. Budget

Typically, the kind of business you start will largely depend on how much you have to spend. You can’t spend what you don’t have. Depending on the nature of the business, you might need small or huge amounts of money. However, business startup experts recommend that people start by investing low amounts of money and continue growing slowly depending on how the business turns out to be. This is usually meant to minimize the chances of business failure. To budget properly, you need a well-defined plan for funding these expenses. You can use your savings or borrow a loan from a lending institution or your friends and family members.

2. Target audience

Customers are the lifeline of every business. Without them, no transactions will be made. They form an essential part of the market chain. Therefore, before you start a business, it’s essential to determine your target market. Consider the demographics of your audience so that you can start a business offering the right solutions. You need a clear picture of what solutions you’ll offer to your customers concerning their needs. Business operations are two-way traffic. If you offer the right products that match your customers’ needs, be sure that your business will continue growing and vice versa. If you understand your audience, you’ll also know when they’re satisfied and when they’re not. This will help you improve your products or services and continue with your operations successfully.

3. Competition

Before starting a business, you must consider the level of competition in the industry. Competition is usually the number one factor that kills many startup businesses. If you dive into a business without proper knowledge of the competition in the field, there are high chances of closing shop in the near future. Business experts recommend that entrepreneurs should avoid highly competitive fields. This is because of the established brands with a huge market share. These brands also have a competitive advantage over new businesses meaning that they can even price their products and services more cheaply and still remain competitive.

4. Risk

Every business has its own risks. It’s, therefore, essential for entrepreneurs to consider the level of risk before engaging in any business. You need to calculate, understand and plan for the risks you’re likely to experience when you start your business. 

Since you’re just starting, it’s not worth taking high risks since they may become more costly in case of eventualities. There are opportunities that do not require as much investment, such as the print on demand etsy integration.

Even if you insure your business against the risk, you might also fail to recover the liabilities, especially where there’s no clear explanation of what led to business failure.

These are the top things to consider before starting your own business. Intensive research on the field you’re investing in is very crucial. You also need a detailed business plan and a mentor to help you make the right decisions.

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As supply chains grow longer and more complex, the risk of waste is greater than ever. A 2021 study conducted by the commercial recycling and waste management company RTS revealed that approximately 30-40% of food produced by farmers is never consumed.

One of the biggest reasons for this is the prevalence of waste throughout the supply chain, where even the most advanced and vigilant tracking systems still suffer from significant blind spots. Enhancing visibility is the best way to combat the loss of product, since stakeholders gain a full view of potential bottlenecks.

Here are five ways logistics managers can improve the visibility of their supply chains.

Identify Weak Links

When conducting supply chain reviews, most companies automatically identify inventory management as a weak link. However, this might not apply to all companies. You need to involve every stakeholder in internal reviews if you’re going to identify what’s truly holding visibility back.

For instance, inventory management might be a problem, but the real issue might be a lack of technology that allows you to monitor and react to storage condition violations. Identifying weak links should be followed by an evaluation of the best solutions to fix the issue.

For instance, adopting reliable warehouse management software is a good idea to detect the gray areas of supply chain and logistics in warehouses. Managers can use WMS software to manage, scale, and monitor warehouse activities in real-time. With cloud fulfillment platforms, business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) companies can drive supply chain modernization. Therefore, it’s high time for logistics managers to shift from legacy systems to cloud supply chain management solutions.

Often, the problem doesn’t lie with technology but with internal workflows. Unnecessary paperwork or process steps might be jeopardizing shipment quality. Identify the goals you’d like to achieve before creating a process workflow.

Involve all process stakeholders, including input solicited from third-party vendors and customers, before defining a new workflow. Set a deadline to implement the new process.

Track Everything

As the need for visibility in supply chain logistics grows, companies need to review the technology they rely on. Tracking systems are the building blocks of a transparent supply chain. While analytics packages help you identify patterns and design smart delivery routes, they’re built on data provided by data loggers attached to shipments.

The more you track every step of your supply chain operations, the more you can refine and create more efficient processes. For instance, monitoring the condition-related data of your on-site inventory will help you identify any blind spots in inventory management.

Tracking is extremely useful when determining the cause of damage. Was a product transported in a compromised state, or was it the shipper who caused the damage due to faulty storage? The answer to these questions have significant insurance impacts, and tracking is the only thing that will help you avoid issues.

Data tracking also helps you gain a full picture of the performance of your suppliers and shipping vendors. Some vendors might perform better during certain times of the year, while others might have infrastructure suited for specific products. Create a product map of your vendors and rate their performance. 

This way, you’ll always know who’s best to turn to when a new order hits, based on the specifics of that order.

Increase Vendor Collaboration

Many logistics providers keep their vendors at arm’s length and consider them as fully replaceable. There’s no doubt that the shipping landscape is competitive, and there are many service providers offering bargain rates. 

However, choosing a provider based on pricing alone isn’t always wise. Bringing your vendors on board with regards to processes will help you identify the pain points they face. For instance, the route you’re choosing to transport goods might not lend itself to maintaining product integrity, irrespective of the infrastructure the shipper has. 

Alternatively, your data might not be up to speed, and the shipper will have better insight into local conditions, having navigated them regularly. Taking these considerations on board and communicating your new process goals will help you create a cohesive supply chain network. 

Your vendors will help you achieve your visibility goals when you collaborate to create processes with them instead of forcing new work models onto them.

Open your communications lines to vendors. For example, include a dedicated service line or staff to handle all vendor matters. Keep in mind that regular communication and collaboration can streamline processes to avoid delays and impede operations. 

Any communication gaps, such as contract misunderstandings, must have immediate resolution. Logistics managers must reach out to vendors and work on mutually agreed concrete solutions to nurture good vendor relationships. In that way, logistics managers can boost supply chain visibility with full vendor support.

Invest in Analytical Talent

Data collection happens all the time throughout the supply chain. However, making sense of data is easier said than done. Most companies have been slow to invest in analytical talent that can help them clean, prepare, and analyze the vast amounts of data they collect.

Some logistics providers have turned to AI to help them create better processes. However, AI isn’t at a stage yet where it can completely take over the process. These algorithms need training, and this is where a data analyst or scientist comes in handy. 

These people will help you avoid biases in your analysis methods and will help you create robust models that automate processes for you. The result is less clerical work and more value creation. 

Employing data science-oriented talent in your company will require you to change your culture. However, the investment will be well worth it.

Refine and Improve

Increasing visibility in the supply chain is an interactive and iterative process. You have to constantly track your data and improve your thresholds. 

Storage and external conditions change all the time. Constant refinement will help you stay on top of these trends.

Create regular reviews of your data and automate reporting. Identify new KPIs that can measure your efficiency more accurately. 

With technology, logistic managers can monitor key performance indicators (KPI) in real-time. The supply chain management KPIs include the cash-to-cash cycle time, customer order cycle time, fill rate, perfect order rate, inventory supply days, inventory turnover, on-time delivery, reasons for return, on-time shipment, and supply chain cost. Monitoring these KPIs can have a significant impact in the strategic decision-making for successful supply chain operations.

Throughout all of this, keep up your collaborative efforts with your vendors.

A Perspective, not Just a Process

Bringing increased visibility and transparency to your supply chain requires you to adopt a different perspective from the past. 

Think of your supply chain as a network instead of a collection of different parts. This attitude will help you design better processes that will delight your customers and increase your bottom line.

Infographic created by Track Your Truck, a vehicle tracking system provider

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Public speaking is a classic fear held by a large proportion of people, and for many this may only get worse when sat in front of a live TV camera. 

If a representative from your company is set to speak to the media, they will of course need to come across as poised and professional (and to give a good impression in general). 

To make sure they can do this, it’s an extremely good idea to prepare your spokesperson with a media training course. This will set them up to feel comfortable with the situation, to know what they can expect, and to have a sense of how to best conduct themselves in a television or radio interview scenario. 

So what are some things you can do to prepare for a media appearance? In this article, we’re going to look at several techniques you can use to prime your spokesperson and get them ready for their big moment in the spotlight – and ensure they know just what to do to represent you in the best manner.

What Is Media Training?

A media training course is a kind of communications training that is designed to help individuals prepare for interviews or other appearances with television, radio or print outlets.

It primes them with knowledge and techniques to cover lots of potential problem areas, such as:

• What should they talk about and how should they stay on topic?
• How should they answer if they receive any difficult questions?
• What are some techniques for appearing professional and likeable on television?

Often, a media training program will incorporate ‘mock interviews’ to get the interviewee comfortable with the format and help them to relax around cameras and microphones. 

This is all done to ensure that the spokesperson can relax on the day and can give a great impression. By the time they appear on the viewer’s TV screen, they will have already practiced numerous interview scenarios and will be comfortable enough to deal with whatever happens.

How To Prepare Your Spokesperson For A Media Appearance

When preparing for a media appearance, the first thing to get right is to really know your talking points and stick to them. 

In order to have an impactful media appearance, you need to clarify your key messages and make sure they come across loud and clear. Your spokesperson shouldn’t go too far off topic and should try to make their points with precision. This is one area where a training course can help.

A television interview is a chance for the public to put a face to the brand, and with this in mind, it’s also vital that your spokesperson comes across as honest, credible, and likeable. 

This means that they should always try to stick to the facts and not embellish the truth – and it also means that they shouldn’t make up a reply if the host asks them a question they don’t know how to answer.

Doing your homework

Before the interview, it’s a very good idea to research and plan for some of the likely questions your spokesperson will face (a good media training course will cover this). 

This might include standard queries about the spokesperson, their role in the company, and their credentials for speaking on the given topic (as well as the salient points concerning the business itself).

It’s also advisable to think about the specific show they will be appearing on and the presenter they will be talking to. What kinds of things tend to get brought up on this programmed, and what does the host tend to respond well to?

It also helps if your representative will be able to back up their points with data and research, so it’s prudent to equip them with all the necessary facts and figures beforehand and to make sure they know them inside and out. 

Steering The Conversation

Depending on the nature of the interview, the host may attempt to change the subject away from what your spokesperson wants to discuss. Sometimes, this may even be an attempt to bring up a controversial topic you would prefer not to address.

It may be tempting to want to shut this down and say “no comment”, but this is a really bad tactic. To the general public, this response sounds evasive and implies that a full answer would represent ‘bad PR’ for the company. 

Instead, it’s much more effective to learn some strategies for steering the conversation naturally back towards a more desirable topic. 

One classic technique taught on media training courses for doing this is known as ‘bridging’ (as it allows the speaker to bridge the gap between one topic and another). This might include the use of phrases such as:

• “That’s a good question, but the really important issue here is…”
• “I don’t have that information to hand, but what I can tell you is…”
• “I understand the concerns, but our research shows that…”
• “I’d need to look that up, but what I do know is…”

These bridging elements (and others) can allow your spokesperson to segue smoothly from a potential problem area back to more familiar territory – all the while giving the impression that they have fully acknowledged the interviewer’s question. 

Showing Some Personality

Of course, your spokesperson can’t just get through a media appearance by repeating pre-prepared lines like a robot. 

Part of the point of putting a spokesperson on TV is to allow the public to put a face to the brand name and create some human connection. More than ever before, people would much prefer to deal with a real person than a faceless corporate monolith – and you want them to see that your company is run by real people who care. If your spokesperson comes across as warm and likeable, so does your business. 

So while it can be a good idea for your speaker to rehearse some lines and soundbites ahead of time, they won’t want to sound too stiff. They shouldn’t say things that don’t sound like them, and shouldn’t be afraid to be themselves (within the bounds of broadcast propriety, of course!). 

Final Words

A successful media appearance can make an enormous difference for the profile and credibility of your business. 

And with the right training course for your spokesperson, you can make sure they are fully primed and ready for whatever the interviewer might throw at them.

If you need help with your spokesperson media training needs, consider using a broadcast PR agency for professional support.

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Are you looking to start a business as a sole trader? Do you want to make sure you start your journey as a sole trader on the right foot and as prepared as possible? Well then, keep reading! In this blog, we’ll teach you how to prepare for your sole trader journey so that you can increase your chances of success in your new profession.

Consider the Pros and Cons

As with everything in life, you first need to consider the pros and cons of working as a sole trader before making a decision on how you want to work as one. Understanding the pros and cons of working as a sole trader will allow you to take advantage of the potential benefits, and minimise the costs of the disadvantages.

The main pros of working as a sole trader include:

• Being able to use your own name as the business name without having to register separately with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission
• Being simple to set up and operate
• Retaining complete control over your business assets and related decisions
• Being able to use your individual tax file number (TFN) to lodge your sole trading tax returns.
• Not having to pay costs such as payroll tax, superannuation for employees and workers’ compensation (as you are not considered an employee of your own business)
• Being a relatively simple business structure to transition out of if you wish to grow your business or experience a change of pace

In contrast, the main cons of working as a sole trader include:

• Being personally liable – meaning all your personal assets are at risk in the unfortunate case that things go wrong with your sole trading business
• Having little leeway for tax planning (you are personally liable to pay tax on all the income earned from your sole trading business)

Be Mindful of Your Business Name and Trade Marking

Although you can use your own name to avoid having to register for a business name, sometimes a separate unique business name may be more preferable. In such a case, you will need to get an Australian Business Number (ABN) to apply for a business name.

It is also important to consider trade marking your business name, or any other names you use for your business to protect it from misuse by others. You can work with a trade mark attorney to ensure you take the correct and necessary steps to trade mark your business name and other intellectual property.

Purchase Insurance

As a sole trader, you will be responsible for all the liabilities of your business. This means that your personal assets are at risk. As a result, it is important to purchase insurance for yourself, as well as your business assets (e.g. work-related equipment) to provide yourself with a safety net in case things go wrong.

If you are considering becoming a sole trader, be sure to take the following steps to prepare yourself for the challenging but rewarding journey thoroughly.

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You simply can’t skip ads when you have a business. You have to make people be aware of your company and let them know that you have the solution to their problem.

Building brand awareness is a process, and you can achieve it using several marketing strategies, including those that don’t overwhelm the audience. Yes, you can be promotional in ways that feel natural and foster genuine interactions with the community.

Ads That Don’t Annoy

Your online ads can be effective and unobtrusive for a better user experience. They can blend into search results that Google deems to be relevant for the user. (There’s still the word Ad next to the result for transparency.) Or they can appear on related websites based on your targeted keywords. You need to work on such advertisements so that they show and perform as expected. Learn how to grow your ads for better results.

Contests That Generate Buzz

Running a social media contest can generate natural buzz for your business. It’s the participants who will spread the word through their posts on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram using the official hashtag and by mentioning their friends. You can make the contest timely, like picking the most heartfelt Mother’s Day message or challenging netizens to make the most creative product presentation. 

Giveaways 

They are less complicated than contests but can still boost your social media presence. You can offer a freebie for having 100 or 1,000 followers or reward 10 people who liked and commented on the promotional post.  

Here are some helpful reminders to avoid flopping or incurring the wrath of the internet community: 

• Set clear mechanics, including mentioning the contest period and location restriction.
• Offer prizes that are too good to be passed up. They can be limited-edition merchandise, vouchers, and anything related to the brand.
• Promote the event to attract more participants.
• Post engaging content to maintain the momentum. 

Gifts That Wow Clients, Employees

Express your appreciation for the people or businesses you work with. You can opt for the tried and tested items, such as pens, shirts, mugs, bags, and golf umbrellas with the company logo and name. Or make way for modern gifts, such as spa essentials, socks, succulents, and s’mores. Whether it’s a thank-you gift or a performance incentive, show your employees that you care. 

Guest Posts That Provide Information

Writing for other websites or blogs raises brand awareness and website traffic. There may be billions of web pages, but quality content still rules, and here lies an opportunity. After all, you are guest posting to inform or educate readers. Any link to your website or pages can go to your author bio or where it fits naturally in the post. 

Pro tip: Don’t neglect your own backyard. Keep your blog updated with free insightful resources.

Collaborations That Match Your Brand

Like the essential workplace dynamic, collaboration as a modern marketing strategy involves working with a vlogger, blogger, or someone who wields influence. As some people say, you are basically tapping their reach to promote your business sneakily. To gain value out of the partnership, choose an influencer who have these qualities:

• Matches your brand values
• Collaborates with you to create the content
• Speaks to your intended audience and gets them engaged
• Agrees to work based on your budget 

Product Placements That Look Natural 

This kind of advertising is common in TV shows, music videos, and movies, where the appearance of cereals or laptops seems random but their brand names are clearly visible. It can cost you a lot to do one product placement in traditional mass media. In the alternative, you can work with an influencer, as noted above, to do the product placement on their social media accounts.  

Packaging That Presents the Brand

Treat packaging as separate from the product, with packaging design a distinct art and science. The packaging sets a great first impression and enables customers to associate it with warm experiences like unwrapping presents. So draw attention to the pouches, mailer boxes, and custom product packages that are branded with your aesthetic. The contents, from cookies to cosmetics, should be equally good. 

Products That Deliver on Their Promise

One customer’s positive experience can encourage others to do the same. And a friend’s recommendation sometimes resonates more than a celebrity’s endorsement. This all means that you have to ensure the quality of your products and that they fulfill their intended purpose. Create an environment where customers can easily share their feedback, including points that can still be improved on. Lastly, let them know that you are listening.    

Are you all set to make a good, lasting name for your business? 

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