The Work-From-Home Issue

There are a number of businesses which strongly debate on whether or not it is a good idea to let employees work from home. While my current company allows it (although with a certain restrictions), many still don't prefer their employees working from home.

There are positives and negatives of this subject. You need to make sure that you are informed about the employee before letting him or her work from home. Here is an awesome infographic from Column Five in that regards. Have a look!

So, what are your thoughts regarding this? Share with us! 

Trust and Business

Trust is one of the key factors which drive businesses. When customers don't trust you enough, when investors don't speak highly of you, then regardless to say, your business will go downhill.  

Build trust. Drive business

Building quality trust is absolutely vital in the long run. Be it a B2C or B2B business, trust plays a significant factor in the long run. This post will attempt at discussing what drives trust and how businesses can actually make the most of it. 

Trust Customers
Modern customers always give feedback. You have to scout for various ways and means to get those feedback through social media presence across various networks. Customers can really help you detect huge problems that have the potentials to turn the shape of your business.

Trust Employees 
Employees always must feel that they are a part of the organization. When you trust your employees, you give/share with the them the responsibility. In a way, your employees feel it obligatory to work towards the benefit of your company. However, be sure to keep them in confidence. If your employees feel alienated, your company has a serious problem.

Why Trust?

Trust brings Confidence 
When you trust your fellow people, when you trust your customers, you can always bank on them in times of crisis. Don't think of your business as something that entirely depends on hard core sales-strategy. Learn to connect with your customers and investors from time to time. Make them a party to your company's growth.

Confidence brings Sales 
When your employees feel that their company loves and appreciates a job well done, then they will work more. It's a sort of motivation which surpasses other forms of motivational measures like appraisals.

If you like this piece, be sure to follow us at Twitter or Facebook! 

Image Courtesy - blog.leadingresources.com

How Mobile and Location Based Services are Shaping Social Media

Businesses from all around the world are waking up to the idea of Location-based services. They have made a fortune out of this little “addition” to social media. Popular retailers have made a fortune out of LBS such as FourSquare. Seeing the stupendous success of this popular location-based networking site, more and more companies are making a foray. For a full list, go here.

Now, we already know how smart phones have shaped the way business are reaching for their consumer. For those who still aren't sure about the importance of mobile phones, here is the infographic by the awesome folks at FlowTown.

The most important thing that needs to be noted is – these location-based services have made a fortune out of mobile phones only. Based upon the ratings given by fellow people, a user decides on whether or not to visit a joint. If you, as a company, give out special discounts via your company page in these sites, more and more people will recommend your services to their peers.

The market is highly driven by people who are looking for small discounts – between 10% to 20%. You can make tremendous amounts of profits through these. Most companies, however, are jumping into these sites just because “everyone” is in here. Unless you have a clear cut goal, you just cannot be on top of the race, no matter if you hire a social media person for $25,000 a year. Make sure that you are fully aware of your goals and what are you going to do to achieve the profit and sustain the margin.

As those who are embracing these services are still a small group, it is always advisable to start early than to wait till the majority embrace it “just to be sure”. The biggest advantage of going in it early is that you will have a huge grip by the time others go online and embrace this service.

Start early because location-based services are the future.

Blog Prob 5. Less or No Revenue

If you have Google Adsense installed in your blog, then chances are, you want to earn from your blog. However, you must know that blogging won’t pay you so early. Many bloggers don’t earn that much in the first few months or may be even a year. But do not be disheartened if you don’t see money, let alone profits from your blog.

The right strategy will help your earn from your blog

Less or No Revenue

Many people agree that blogging does pay you. There are bloggers who earn hundreds and thousands of dollars every month through various means. In order to earn like them, you have to follow certain rules and abide by them diligently.

Addressing the issue

• Never lose hope – Blogging requires patience. Blogs which start earning in the first few months are either related to some hugely popular brands or they employ shady means to achieve the target. Chances are, bloggers write quality content but when they don’t see profits they get discouraged and ultimately discontinue their work. Have some realistic goals and work hard to achieve these goals. And above all – have patience.

• Plan – In the previous blog, I discussed about the importance of planning. There are various ways of earning from one’s blog – Ad Sales, AdSense, Affiliate products, memberships, premium content, products sales and promoting services. As your blog grows, you may change your monetizing plans but overall, you need to draw a proper plan beforehand. Before asking others to buy your premium content, you need give them premium content beforehand. Build your reputation and create an audience ready to pay for your work.

• Never rely on one source – Keep your eyes open and create as many sources of income as possible. As your blog becomes popular, you will find new income opportunities headed your way. Decide properly as to the ones you need to pay attention to.

• Become a problem-solver – This especially holds true for business houses carrying out a blog. When you write on topics related to a specific industry, you know your audience is interested in your products/services. They will ask you to help them out in solving a problem or a solution. Help them and become a problem-solver. This will help in getting you loyal readers.

With these points, your blog, business or otherwise, will soon help you earn money. All you need to do is stay focused and keep blogging the right stuff! 

Image Source - AmitBhawani.com

Market Your BORING Business via Social Media

Social media marketing agencies have to deal with all sorts of clients. Now, it is a cool scenario when they have clients from the world of entertainment, sports, fashion and tech. There are materials available from the Internet and there is ready audience who would want to hear the latest developments taking place.

But what if you are dealing with a client who sells network cables or toilet seats? How will you be able to market the client in such a scenario? 

If you are a business owner who is short of ideas to market his product to people who really didn't care about it, then be assured, there are plenty of them.Social media marketing agencies have to deal with all sorts of clients. 

Courtesy - drewflaherty.com

Get Back To Basics

The first and the foremost thing that must do in order to rescue your business is – Get back to basics. You are selling something which helps people in some way or the other. Help your existing customers and potential ones with ideas on some of the most challenging issues they face. Give them ideas on a range of issues such as web conferencing, supply chain logistics and much more. They will start to take you as a guaranteed source of information and will spread the word out.

Be Creative

The least you can do is stop thinking that your business is boring. The moment you stop thinking like one, that is the moment when you start becoming creative about your product. Keep a track on what the world is talking about and think how you can place your product/service in line with what the world cares about. Connecting the dots and creating a new path will ensure that you will get more customers in a relatively short span of time.

Be Informative

Regardless of how BORING you think your business is, there is always some or the other development happening. Make sure to interview industry experts, government spokesperson and potential clients. You will be amazed to note how many CEOs would be up for an interview than an appointment. Make sure to thank them after the interview and have your marketing department devise ways and means to spread the word out to your existing clientele.

Feedback 24x7

Feedback is crucial to any business’s success. Make the most of it by regularly asking your clients on what they want from you and devise your products and services around them. With their comments getting attention, they will feel wanted and will turn loyal to your business.

A business may be boring but with the right kind of ideas, you can turn around your business and ring in more profits. So, are you game?