Digitizing Your Business Methods Effectively

Starting up a business from nothing is a daunting process. You go through so many stages from the planning and foundation side of things to the implementation and sales. Many people can find that as entrepreneurs they can be a little “old school” with their methods.

For many that involves keeping physical copies of things and using a good old fashioned notebook, diary, and pen. However, with technology advancing all of the time, you need to digitize many elements of your business. So which areas should you focus on? Here are some of the business methods that you can focus on digitizing to help your company and ideas thrive now and in the future.

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Your website and online shop

A website is likely to be a standardized element of your business, and with people using the internet hourly for information, social aspects or for business, it is one of your biggest assets. Giving your website the option of a shop can also enhance your capability for business as this makes transactions within your business far easier for the consumer. In terms of how it benefits your business in other ways, a website and online shop will allow you to keep digitized records of sales strategies and stock levels. Allowing you to plan and be forward thinking for new campaigns. 

Using the cloud 

The cloud, in its basic terms, is a centralized location on the internet that stores data. For a business there is huge value in using it. Gone are the days where you have filing systems from floor to ceiling filled with paperwork. You can now easily transfer the data to a digital copy, and then store it in the cloud. There are many different cloud services options you can use.

However, the main benefit is a reduction in costs, it's easy to use and accessible for those that need it, while giving your business and employees flexibility. Last of all it helps to encourage automation within your business practices. 

Customer management and service

It is important to recognise that the way you handle and manage your customers can also be digitized. With the introduction of customer relationship management systems, allowing you to keep records of purchase history and notes to help add value to customer conversations, can help your business to thrive when it comes to the customer service side of things.

Email communication where G Suite for business productivity could help enhance this area might be the answer. Instead of letters, using email or even text messaging services for simple and up to date information regarding updates can help to improve the level of service you provide. 

Being present online and humanizing your social media

Finally, social media is such a big part of business these days and can be arguably one of the biggest contenders when it comes to your marketing campaigns. However, with every other business focusing on it, you need to ensure that your social media strategy and content plan stands out from the crowd.

This is when humanizing your business and social media can be a huge asset. You can offer up insights using other tools within the platform, play around with video and imagery. The old practice of people buying from people does still exist today, so it is important to add an element of that in an online world. 

Let’s hope this has helped you to consider what methods to change within your business.

All You Need To Know About Starting A Home-Based Business

By Amy Collett

Working from home is a dream for thousands of people, but making that dream a concrete reality is one of the most daunting things you will ever do. After all, it takes a lot of guts to let go of the safety net of a steady paycheck to work for yourself, but the rewards are well worth the risks. Running your own home-based business gives you flexibility, control, and incredible job satisfaction, but getting started can be the hardest part. That is why we’ve compiled everything you need to know to finally take that step and answered some of your most burning questions. 

Where Do I Start? 

There’s not one correct place to start when setting up your home-based business, but your website and social media presence is a good place to start. If you don’t have any experience with building a website, don’t worry: it’s not nearly as intimidating or expensive as you would imagine.

Essentially, you will need a domain (the name of your website) and a web hosting provider. Both are usually available through web building services, and doing everything in one place is better if you are a beginner who is making a simple website. Modern web builders feature intuitive, easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interfaces, allowing anyone to put together a good-looking website with little to no design experience. Check out this detailed guide to web builders to help you choose the best one for you.

Think about what your website needs, and try to keep it simple to start with - an “about me” section, portfolio, and contact page are usually enough. Then, consider which social media platforms you want to be on. Doing something visual? Instagram is a must. Showing off your way with words? Keep a witty and engaging Twitter feed.

Make sure you regularly set aside time to maintain your online presence. Don’t worry if you don’t have anything to show off on your website or social media yet. Just setting the processes in place and having these ready for when you do will save you loads of work down the line. Online tools like Later (which allows you to schedule Instagram posts on a calendar) and IFTTT (which can help you update multiple platforms at the same time) can be a huge help.

How Do I Start Getting Clients?

This is probably the biggest question for most budding freelancers and entrepreneurs, and the answer is that it depends. If you already have an established network in your area due to past jobs, then this part can be easier for you. Reach out to any contacts that could be interested in your services, and let them know what you can do. Even if you don’t have an extensive list of professional contacts, you can start by reaching out to friends and family members to get the ball rolling.

 If you are freelancing, you may find online platforms like People Per Hour or Upwork extremely useful for getting your first clients. However, bear in mind that the jobs listed on these portals are not likely to be high-paying ones and that you will be competing with people from all over the world who can afford to request lower rates. If you do choose to use these services, make sure you take your time setting up an attractive profile and writing careful, tailored bids for work. 

Finally, you have the option of cold pitching. While this can lead to great opportunities, it does come with its challenges - think about how many unrequested marketing emails you receive at work or in your personal inbox that you actually read and pay attention to. Make sure any emails you send are personalized and engaging, and always try to find a specific email address on LinkedIn rather than a generic “Contact Us” one. This guide to cold emailing by the Harvard Business Review is a good place to start.

 What Should I Charge?

Again, it depends. It depends on the work you do, your level of experience, and your ongoing expenses. Take some time to look up the average rates for your area as well as the different ways you can charge for your work. For example, writing work can be paid per word, per piece, per hour, or per day. Consultancy rates can be hourly, daily, or weekly.

It is a good idea to set your ideal rate for each of these methods, as this gives you a starting point for negotiations. Be realistic - you won’t be able to charge high rates if you are a beginner with a small portfolio. However, you should also be able to take pride in your work, so know how low you are willing to go. One option is to offer different rates based on the complexity of different clients’ work and their budgets, and then establish a set rate based on what seems to work for the majority of them. Using an invoice app (Square Point of Sale is a popular option, and it’s free) will help you keep track of what you’re charging everyone and which rate(s) are the most widely accepted among your clientele.

Finally, many business owners just starting out wonder if they should accept “experience” as compensation in the beginning of their new venture. The question of whether to offer free or extremely cheap work during the start of your career is a difficult one, and it comes down to personal choice. Some people believe it cheapens their work and can lead to being trapped with low-quality clients, while others swear by it as a way to build experience. It’s best to take this on a case-by-case basis - for example, this list by Forbes outlines four times in which it’s a good idea to take on work for free.

How Do I Stay Productive?

One of the hardest parts of running a home-based business is staying productive. After all, home is where you relax, and there are endless potential distractions lurking around every corner. Being your own boss is all fun and games until you realize that you have to monitor and motivate yourself.

First of all, focus on properly setting up your home office. Working from your bed or the dining room table is an attractive option (and you can always do that occasionally), but you need a desk with a proper work area to get your head in the right space for productivity. If you don’t have a separate room to turn into an office, then a partitioned corner of any room can work. The important thing is that it has everything you need to be productive and that it feels separate from your home life. 

Technology is a great ally to the home worker, so use it to be as productive as possible. There are apps that can streamline your invoicing, web extensions that can block certain websites (we’re looking at you, Facebook) and thousands of online playlists filled with music to promote focus and concentration.

On the other hand, you can consider outsourcing your work or contracting it to people outside of your main business. When working with remote contractors or freelances scattered across the world, you need to know how you will pay them in the most cost-efficient manner. The best and most affordable way is by using electronic payment platforms, which can allow you to send money to the UK and other countries throughout the world.

Now that you know the basics, it’s time to start putting your plan into action. Don’t worry - anyone who has ever started a business has been slightly terrified, but the truth is that millions of people have fulfilling, prosperous careers working from home. With some planning, organization, initiative, and motivation, you can join them and have the business you always wanted.