3 Ways That Businesses Waste Money Without Realizing

Money management is vital to the success of any business. If you let spending get out of control, you will soon run into financial issues that could kill the business entirely. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses fall victim to this because they waste money without even realizing it. It is important that you know how to identify this waste in your own business and make changes to save money if you are going to thrive. These are some of the most common ways that businesses waste money.

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Outsourcing Too Many Tasks
Outsourcing is very beneficial, especially for small businesses. When you can’t afford to hire a large team, outsourcing gives you access to the expertise that you need without paying full salaries. It can also help you to fill skills gaps in the business and handle the areas that you are not qualified to deal with. However, you will only benefit from outsourcing if you do it in the right way. Some businesses make the mistake of outsourcing too many tasks and paying for services that they don’t really need. Before you outsource anything, you need to do a cost analysis and make sure that it is actually going to benefit your business.

High Shipping Costs
If you sell products online, you need to manage your shipping costs properly. So many businesses fail to shop around for the best rates and end up wasting money. But there are plenty of shipping companies around that offer competitive rates and great service (you can learn more at Unishippers.com) so you can save money without making any compromises. If you can cut your shipping costs, you can pass those savings on to the customer and that will boost sales in a big way.

Technology Costs
All businesses can benefit from investing in technology, but a lot of companies end up wasting their money. One big mistake that people make is paying for technology that they don’t need. They are drawn in by a clever sales pitch about some software that has all sorts of amazing features. But those features may be aimed at big companies with multiple locations, not a small online business. When you are upgrading technology, you should first think about what your needs are and then find technology that meets them. Visit nibusinessinfo.co.uk for a great list of the best tech upgrades for your business.

You may think that you can save money by sticking with the technology that you have right now, and not upgrading it. However, it doesn’t work that way and using outdated technology will actually cost you more money.  Old computers, for example, will run slowly and impact productivity, and you will have to keep paying for IT support when they break. Outdated software also means that you cannot offer the same level of service that your competitors can, and that’s a big problem. If you want your business to thrive, you need to make necessary upgrades to your business technology, but make sure that you are only paying for things that benefit the business.

If you can stop wasting money in these ways, you will find it a lot easier to manage your business finances.

Gain More Confidence At Work

Whether you have been in your role for many years or you are just starting out, confidence is something that is always going to prove important in trying to be as good at that role as possible. If you feel that you could probably do with being a little more confident at work, then you are not alone. Many people feel this way, and the truth is that there are many things you can hope to do in order to boost your confidence at work in no time at all. In this article, we are going to look at some of the best approaches to this, so that you can make sure that you are going to approach your work in a much more confident manner from here on out.

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Dress Well
The way you dress will be likely to have a significant impact on how you feel at work, and what kind of confidence levels you are projecting to other people - which in turn increases your genuine confidence too. You should generally make sure to put a lot of effort into what you wear, and especially to ensure that you are dressing appropriately to a correct degree of professionalism. However, at the same time you should also think about dressing in a manner which is personal and individual to you, as that is something that will help you to stand out and feel more confident in yourself generally.

There is also the famous advice on dressing for the job you want, and that can be a good way of looking at this. However, be sure not to step on any toes, and try to make sure that you don’t look too out of place by doing this, as that could end up working against you and actually bringing your confidence levels back down again.

If it helps to shop fine jewelry because it makes you feel more confident, then do so. Don't hold back. If you're worried about the expense, see it as an investment in yourself. If you can feel more confident about going to work and being with other people, then it can make a massive difference to your career opportunities and progression. In other words, it could eventually wind up paying for itself.

Remind Yourself Of Your Credentials
For many people, the cause of their lack of confidence at work is rooted in the sense that they have that they somehow don’t belong in that role, or that they are not good enough for it. If you are feeling this way, then it might be something that you want to work on in its own terms in order to improve your confidence at work. That could be a simple fact of reminding yourself of the credentials you have as related to that job. So if you are a project manager, you can think back to the time that you acquired your pmp certification, and that will help you to remember that you do really deserve to be there. Doing this simple thing is often enough to feel better about being in the role you are in.

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Of course, if you find that you don’t have much to look back on here, that might just be a sign that you need to get some extra training or experience. In which case, make sure to do just that. That is at least a solution that you can follow, and you shouldn’t therefore let your confidence levels get low as a result of this situation.

Build On Your Strengths
Whatever you are doing, you are bound to have developed skills and strength which you can therefore think about too. In fact, all you will generally need to do is to find a way to build on your strengths, and that is something that you can do at any time too. If you do that routinely as a matter of course, you are going to find that you gain more and more confidence at work by degrees, and that in time you get to a place where you are much more sure of yourself in that role. Building on your strengths in this way is always going to be a valuable thing to consider doing, so be sure not to overlook this vital thing.

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Socialize
It’s important to remember that your work life is not entirely separate from your social life. In fact, you will probably find that you make friends at your workplace, and that is an important part of being confident too. If you want to feel more confident at work, you might find it helpful to socialize with some of the people who also work there. That doesn’t mean that you have to hang out with everyone, or even that you need to do it all the time. But as long as you are showing your face at different events, you are going to find that this helps you to feel more a part of the team. Other people will also start talking to you more at work, and that will help with your confidence levels greatly too.

Faking It
There is much debate about faking it til you make it with confidence. But there is something to be said about it in the workplace. This might be especially useful to consider if you are just starting out at a new job, as you want to make a good first impression. By faking your confidence, you will ultimately find that it becomes a reality, and you are going to be in a much better position indeed in no time. You will basically make yourself believe that you are confident over time, even if you don’t believe it at first - and others will do the same with you too. So this might be worth considering if you feel that you need all the help you can get when it comes to being confident at work. There is no shame in doing this, or anything else that might prove important, in trying to improve your life in this way.

As long as you follow these tips, you should find that you are going to be much more confident at work in no time. That will lead to better relationships with colleagues, and a happier life in general, while also improving your career prospects along the way.

When It's Time To Spread Your Wings

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You love your family, you love your friends, but the wanderlust is calling you to far off lands and you know that if you listen to the call of the wild long enough, inevitably you are going to disappoint, or upset someone.

At any stage of your life, leaving behind your family and friends to embark on an adventure in a distant land is fraught with dilemma’s.  Why are you going - are you running away from something, or someone, when in reality, you just want to kind of like - go!

There is no ulterior motive, no big issue, just a feeling that you need to explore and see something of the world and just be you for a while, without the backdrop of your nearest and dearest.

When you are facing this conundrum in your 20’s, it’s a totally different dilemma to facing it in your 40’s. In your 20’s, your parents haven’t quite adapted to the prospect that their ‘babies’ have grown up, and want to fly the nest. The thought of any long haul trip or gap year brings parents out in a sweat, and worry beads form involuntarily on every Mum and Dad’s head.

But what about years later, when there are also Grandchildren involved, and your spouse gets the offer of an amazing job, relocation package AND the house of your dreams in - Australia and is already looking at the Australian Immigration website.

This is not going to be something that fills a gap for a year or so, this is a long term commitment, and you have some soul searching to do.

If your parents suddenly decided they were going to relocate for a happy retirement in a country that was simply a couple of hours plane ride away, you would encourage and support them in that decision. It’s not the same as living just in the next town, but it’s doable, and you can make it work for their sake.

But when you want to relocate to a country that is on another continent, that is an entirely different matter, there are so many things to take into consideration.

What do you do? Do you go down the seemingly selfish route of thinking it’s your life, a great opportunity, and your spouse, children will have such a better standard of living or, do you consider the negatives, such as your parents aren’t getting any younger, they are an integral part of your children's lives.

Worse still you may be an only child, now thinking about heading off on a journey that is going to cause your beloved parents a load of heartache and they will miss you terribly.

Whatever your situation, take your time to make the right decision. Australia may be right for you, but not right now. Don’t be dismissive of your loved one’s views and opinions, it’s a rare parent or friend that will actually hold you back by making you feel guilty.

Talk to friends and family before you make any major decisions about spreading your wings and relocating, for whatever reason, to another continent.

Buying Jewelry As A Gift

There are many great reasons why you might want to think about buying jewellery as a gift for someone. Jewelry is often going to be considered very personal, and so if you make the right decisions around it, it will generally mean a present which is going to go down pretty well. It is also the kind of item that someone can generally keep forever, which is a great kind of gift for anyone to have. If you are thinking about buying some jewelry for someone, however, you will want to know what you can do to make sure that you get it right. Let’s take a look.

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The Style
Probably the most important thing of all is the style of the piece itself. You want this to match as best as possible the person that you are giving the ring to, and that is something that can of course be much easier said than done. In general, it is a matter of using your intuition and kind of following your nose with it. In that respect, you should find that you end up with a much better chance of getting them something they will really enjoy and feel is personal to them.

The Cost
The issue of money is an interesting one in jewelry buying. The fact is that you don’t need to splash out and spend loads in order to find an item which is beautiful or which is going to be well appreciated by your recipient. In fact, there are many ways to spend only a little and still get hold of a fantastic piece: such as using a blue nile coupon, or simply shopping around for the same piece in different places. The price is not as important as the piece itself, and whether you feel that it is going to be appreciated by the person in question.

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Personalization
Often, it will be a nice touch to personalize the item in some way, and there are many ways that you might want to think about doing this. For instance, you could have it engraved with some kind of message for the person, or a date if it is to be given for an important or momentous occasion. Any kind of personalization immediately makes an item of jewelry much more likeable and enjoyable, and means that the person will get a lot more out of it.

Thoughtfulness
Above all, what really matters is that you have shown a particular thoughtfulness when it comes to choosing the item of jewelry. If you can show that you have thought about the person’s personality, their taste and styles and so on, then it is going to be a much more successful present, and you will find that they are much happier with it. There is a real joy to giving a gift that works in this way, so it is something that you will want to work on - for the sake of the other person, and also for yourself.

5 Things To Increase Your Daily Happiness

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It is easy to get stuck in a cycle of feeling down and out of your depths. It is normal to feel this way now and again because it is not possible to be extremely happy all the time. It is, however, possible to do things every day that can increase your happiness and increase your ability to maintain a positive outlook. These could be small things or big things, but they can make an overall difference to your day:

Be kind to people
Being kind to people is an excellent way to make you feel happy because you know that you are doing something that will make someone else smile. Compliment someone's outfit, leave a bigger tip at a restaurant, or leave a happy note on the train for someone to find. These things don't take a lot of effort, but they might encourage other people to do more nice things for each other in the future, and one day it might come back round to you.

Forgive people
Holding onto grudges against people who have wronged you can cause you unnecessary stress. It is okay to feel angry at first, but after a while, you need to let it go. Forgiving someone doesn't mean that you are saying that they weren't wrong, or that you have to keep them in your life, but it will unburden you from any bad feelings and allow you to move on.

Reflect on the good things
Reflecting on the good things in your life, that you are thankful for is an excellent way to bring you out of your slump. You can sit and try and write a list of a few good things that have happened in the past, to remind yourself that things won't always be bad.

If you want to preempt this, you could start writing a list of gratitude when good things happen, even little things, like seeing a cute dog, that you can then look back on when you are feeling down.

Do something you love
Carving out time to do something that you love will help you to feel happier. If you are just always working and doing things for other people, then it is not surprising that you feel down. You need to have an outlet for yourself, where you can develop your hobbies, or just have a bit of fun. It could be that you go to a dance or martial arts class once or twice a week. You could also paint or knit. It doesn't matter what you do as long as you love it.

Learn about peace
Peace is something that many imagine a lot. Whether it is peace in the home or peace in the world, it is something that people are always searching for. You can have peace in your own life by making time for yourself through meditation or doing something you enjoy.

Peace on a larger scale can be more challenging to think of, but you can listen to positive messages spread by speakers like Prem Rawat, who has inspired many people to discover and practice peace.

Choosing The Perfect Wedding Ring (The Conundrum Solved)

Often it can seem like selecting the perfect wedding ring is a puzzle you have little time to invest in. After all, there is so much to get sorted for the big day. Even choosing your ring can seem like just another task on the list. However, what you need to remember is that after all the pomp and ceremony of the day, the one thing that you will have with you all the time is your wedding ring. To that end making sure you choose the right one is vital indeed. Something you can find out more about in the post below.

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Color
The first thing to consider is the color and type of metal that you want your wedding ring to be made from.  The usual choices being white gold, yellow gold, and platinum.

Of course, you will want to pick a metal that goes well with your engagement ring. Although, don't feel as if you have to have them exactly the same colors if you don't want to. In fact, yellow gold and white gold can work well together with the right rings, and as long as you don't wear them as a pair that often. The reason being that different types of metal are different hardness, and that means they can wear away at each other if you have them on every day.

Stone
Once you have established the type of metal you will choose, it's time to think about the stone. Of course, traditionally, the stones for engagement and wedding rings tend to be diamonds. The reason being that they are one of the most durable materials on earth and so represent the eternal nature of the couple's love.

However, do remember that you are free to choose any stone you like. Such as sapphires, rubies, or even emeralds. Of course, some couples decide to go for a plain band instead. One that doesn't have acne at all. It's entirely up to you.

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Cut
After deciding to opt for stones, you need to think about the cut that you would like. In fact, the cut can make a massive difference to the overall look of the finished ring. Especially if it needs to match with your engagement ring, or has multiple stones.

In particular, princess cut diamonds tend to be one of the most popular choices for both wedding and engagement rings. The reason being that this cut provides excellent life refraction and will make sure that your stone glows and glimmers for years to come.

Style of the Mount
Finally, the last thing to consider when choosing your ring is the style of mount that you will choose. In fact, a simple floating mount is no longer the only option, with many brides opting for a more ornate or vintage style setting instead.

Of course, before you decide it's a good idea to see some rings with different mount in real life, even trying them on if you can. Then you can be sure you are making the right decision and will end up with the perfect wedding ring that you can wear every single day.

The Dos & Don'ts Of Outsourcing (Apply Them To Your Business)

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Outsourcing is the concept of paying other people/companies to do work for your business instead of doing it in-house. It’s extremely popular amongst small business owners - particularly those with home businesses and not enough room or resources for full-time employees. When done correctly, it can help you save a lot of money and streamlines your business processes.

Having said that, if it’s not done correctly, then it can have the opposite effect. There’s every chance you can start spending too much money on outsourcing and slowing down your business. This fear puts a lot of people off the idea - but you shouldn’t avoid it!

In general, outsourcing is beneficial. You just need to know what to do - and what not to do. On that note, here are the dos and don’ts of outsourcing that you should apply to your business:

Do: Work out the costs
Most companies outsource because it’s supposed to be cheaper. In the majority of situations, it will be. However, you still need to add up the costs before you choose to do this. Think about how much it will cost to outsource a service to a provider. Typically, this is easy to figure out as they will provide you with a quote for the service. Then, look at your alternatives. Calculate if it will cost more to handle things yourself or to hire someone full-time.

Sometimes, it might be cheaper to avoid outsourcing. How? Well, you might have knowledge of the service, so you can do it all for free. Or, you may have an employee with existing talents that can handle the job for a smaller fee - or for no fee at all. A good example of this is if you need graphic design work for your website or an advertising campaign. It’s natural to think about outsourcing, but you may have someone working in your team that’s got a graphic design degree or does this sort of thing in their spare time. In which case, you could save money by going to them instead of outsourcing.

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Don’t: Outsource everything
It’s tempting to start outsourcing everything in your business. Normally, this happens when you outsource a service and are amazed by the results. You look at the facts and realize that you saved so much money by outsourcing, and you ended up with an incredible service. So, you wonder why you bother having full-time employees at all. You could just pay other companies to do their work for a much lower fee!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. Some jobs are better when kept in-house. If you start outsourcing everything, then you increase the waiting times for different things, and you make communication a lot harder. The best way to look at it is to think about what jobs are essential. Who can you not do without? People that work closely with you will fall into this category - like assistants or receptionists. Sales teams will always fall into this category as they know your business best, and they have relationships with customers and leads. But, other things like marketing and accounting or HR can be done by other businesses or individuals away from your premises. So, these services are the best ones to outsource.

If you outsource too many jobs, you end up with an unstructured business that’s unproductive and doomed to fail.

Do: Try and find companies that provide multiple services
When you outsource, try and find companies or individuals that can do more than one thing for you. If you look at the Timmermann Group website, you’ll see how some marketing agencies can handle all types of jobs. This is beneficial as it means you only have to pay one company to do everything from SEO to web design. The more services one company can provide, the better.

It’s all about ease-of-access for your business. Outsourcing five different companies for five different elements of your marketing strategy is madness. Similarly, working with multiple firms to deal with your finances is laughable. You want to try and keep things as condensed as possible. Why? Because it’s usually cheaper, and because it makes it much easier to communicate with your providers. You only have one company to deal with instead of five. This speeds up efficiency and makes everything more productive.

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Don’t: Outsource to anyone
Another big advantage of outsourcing is that it minimizes hiring costs and reduces time spent looking for new hires. This is 100% true, it will cost your business far less money to actually outsource rather than hiring an employee. It’s all to do with the lack of benefits required, but also the lack of money being spent advertising the job, setting up interviews, and so on. In turn, the fact you don’t need to interview candidates or go through applications means you can outsource a lot quicker.

Unfortunately, this leads to a common mistake; hiring any old company. You’ve still got to do some research to ensure that you find the best business to outsource your services to. Spend time collecting a shortlist of potential providers and compare them with one another. The main things you’re looking for are the services available, experience, qualifications, and price. Then, be sure to check for any reviews or testimonials - these are the best ways of finding out how good a provider is. If the reviews are positive - and they have way more than the other companies you’re considering - then they should be the one for you.

Do: Provide as much information and guidance as possible
A common misconception about outsourcing is that the company you outsource to will know everything they need to know. Technically, they should have a vast understanding of the field they’re experts in. But, unless they’re psychic, they won’t know everything about your business or your specific industry. This is especially relevant if you have a very niche business that targets a precise market.

So, if you provide them with hardly any information and expect them to figure it out on their own, then you’re asking for trouble. Don’t be annoyed when they provide you with a service that doesn’t meet your expectations. Or, don’t be irritated if they keep coming back and asking lots of questions. You have to give them all the details they need to provide the best service for your business.

Don’t: Switch too often
If you are outsourcing, then you shouldn’t treat it like car insurance or a phone bill. When the contract is up, you may be tempted to look around for a better deal. But think about it logically. You’d need to spend time looking for a new provider, then you’d have to go through all the steps of introducing yourself, talking about the service you’re after, giving them information on your business, etc.

It takes up a lot of time when you’re better of sticking with your current provider. They know you, they know your business, and you know they do an excellent job. So, stick with them and you might even get loyalty benefits! You should only switch if you’re not happy with the quality of service you’re receiving.

There we have it, the dos and don’ts of outsourcing. Can this idea benefit you? Absolutely. Especially if you’re short on cash and want to grow your business. The way you approach and use advertising will ultimately decide if it’s successful or not. Luckily, you can increase your chances of success by following all of the advice laid out in the article above.

3 Helpful SEO Tips for New Business Beginners

When you’re starting a business, there’s an endless list of things to think about. Unfortunately, it can feel impossible to cover everything, which tends to make things like SEO take a back burner. That’s one of the reasons why so many new businesses fail so quickly.

Whether you have any marketing experience or not, you need to use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to get your business noticed and ranked on Google, Bing, etc. About 70% of marketing experts believe SEO is more important than pay-per-click advertising. That’s good for your business since optimizing your website for search engines doesn’t have to cost money!

While the following tips will help you optimize your site and make it more visible to search engines, you might find that results can vary greatly. Besides, it can be tricky to implement all those tips in your web building platform. WordPress is the number one platform for web building for small businesses. However, not everyone knows how to leverage the platform to increase your visibility online. So, if you know how to improve SEO in theory but don’t know your way around WordPress, it’s worth working with WordPress Experts who can do the legwork for you.

Even if you’re a beginner with no marketing background, you can still utilize SEO and put some techniques into practice. Let’s look at a few tips you can use to get your business noticed online.

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1. Put Effort Into Your Keywords

Even if you don’t have marketing experience, you’ve probably heard about keywords and how important they are for your business to be found. Keywords are what people will commonly use to search for what your business has to offer.

For example, if you sell sandals and flip-flops and someone types “best summer sandals” in Google, you want your business to be the first thing that pops up.

There are a few ways to know you’re using the “right” keywords. First, think about what you would search for as it relates to your business. Write down several words and phrases. When you put yourself in the mind of a typical consumer, it’s a good place to start. You can also use keyword research tools, or look up what competitors are using to see how you can do better.

2. Optimize Your Content

Any good marketer will tell you that “content is king.” Google is putting more focus on page content than ever before, so make sure your website has fresh and relevant content that is easy to read and draws interest. It should look and feel natural to the reader instead of something that is just flooded with keywords for no reason.

It’s a good idea to update your content regularly and use the right formatting, including headings, sub-headings, and images to break up text and be more visually appealing.

3. Use the Right Page Titles

This might seem like a small tip, but it can make a big difference. Plus, it’s something many small businesses ignore, and they’re only hurting themselves!

When you’re creating your website, don’t ignore the titles for each page. You want to make sure they’re just as optimized as the other content on your site. Try to get some relevant keywords into your titles in a natural-sounding way. If you can get a keyword or two at the beginning of each title, you can improve your click-through rates and even your page ranking.

SEO can feel a little overwhelming for beginners. If you’re still struggling with how to get started, it might be a good idea to call a professional, like this digital agency in Philadelphia. But, once you put some time and effort into learning more about SEO, you’ll quickly see it can be your best friend when it comes to promoting your business effectively.

8 Handy Software Tools Your Business Needs

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For the modern entrepreneur, improving productivity often relies upon adopting the fastest and most effective business solutions. Much of the time, these solutions lie in the technological world. With so many software options out there, from accounting options to analytics and time management, it can be daunting to know which tools to use. For a few options to streamline your processes and save time, try these eight applications.

1. WorkZone
Workzone is an excellent tool for document collaboration and project management. Users can take advantage of WorkZone to create task notifications, organize projects, and assign responsibilities. Using this software, you can link tasks together and monitor the occurring changes. WorkZone is useful for projects that use consistent processes; users can design templates to be used across each different projects, whether marketing or development. The software provides cross-project views that allow you to gauge a full picture of progress at any given time. Other features of WorkZone include expense tracking, Gantt charts, image markup and workload reports.

2. Zoho Analytics
With this data analytics platform, you’ll get yourself some great data visualizations and insights to put into action. Zoho Analytics can identify trends, determine outliers, and monitor vital company metrics. By receiving data insights from various places, you gain an overall picture of your company's health and performance. Using Zoho Analytics, it’s easy to collaborate with your team via sharing reports, messaging, and comments. You can also set real-time data alerts to notify your team of essential updates. Should you need to create a data chart, you can do this easily via a drag and drop feature. You don’t need to use coding to place charts in the right location. With Zoho Analytics, you’ll also access features such as query tables, REST API, reports, dashboards and support across multiple languages.

3. Time Doctor
Time Doctor is a neat tool for keeping track of work time. You can use the software to monitor your own time or the time of your staff members. Time Doctor provides a picture of apps used and sites visited throughout working hours. When you can see where time is going, it’s easier to improve time management. Users of Time Doctor have the option to permit their clients access to the app, if appropriate. With this feature, clients can access relevant screenshots and reports of the tasks that have been completed for them. Time Doctor provides analytics, flexible configuration, optional payroll, and data encryption.

4. Helpspot
Helpspot is a great piece of help desk software that allows companies to support the needs of their customers. As well as help desk software, the platform also features a support ticket system. With Helpspot, it’s simple to track brands and customers and deliver an improved service. A few of the key features of Helpspot include ticket design, ticket replying and management, knowledge management, and self-service. Using the software, you can support emails and stay organized; gain matrix reports to view trends; and manage SLAs with triggers and automation views.

5. Zoom
Zoom is a popular video conferencing tool for online meetings, training, or webinars. Whether you’re a remote business or not, Zoom is handy for companies to communicate with staff or stakeholders who are on the go. The software can allow up to 100 interactive members, and up to 10,000 members who can view the conference, without interaction. Zoom has some great collaboration features whereby users can send image, text, or audio files between different groups. Meetings are essential, and there isn’t always the time or resources to get everyone to the same place at the same time. With Zoom, you can ensure the perfect interactive meetings for your teams, no matter what.

6. Wave Accounting
Wave is a free app that offers receipt scanning, invoicing, and accounting all in one place. It’s an ideal solution for smaller businesses or self-employed professionals. Wave is simple to set up, with an easy access dashboard and plenty of handy features. You can manage taxes, monitor expenses, and create estimates with ease. Wave can help your business to simplify the process of expense tracking. The software also removes the need for manual data entry. You can set up recurring invoices and bills to save yourself a little time. Further features include yearly record keeping, direct deposit, payroll, and integrations.

7. Flock
Flock is a collaboration platform that allows you and your teams to share project-related information, exchange files, and communicate in real-time. With Flock, you can also communicate with remote employers, via video calls and virtual meetings. Flock can be integrated with apps such as Jira, Trello, or Asana, meaning you can make the most of all your tools and data together. Using Flock, it’s easy to share project ideas; you can create channels associated with specific tasks. Flock also includes productivity tools, communication management, screen sharing, and admin controls. To keep your projects running smoothly, Flock allows users to work together effortlessly no matter where they may be.

8. InfoFlo
InfoFlo is a platform for Customer Relationship Management, perfect for both freelancers and small to mid-sized businesses. Using this software, you can manage and track all the information about your company contacts in one place. With one click, you can access everything that you need. InfoFlo provides you with a detailed picture of all of your previous exchanges with each customer. You can use these exchanges and their preferences to nurture your business relationships. InfoFlo features a customized dashboard, social media management, data backup, meeting tracking, and more.

Finding the right software options for you is much about trial and error. If a tool isn’t working for you, there’s no need to compromise. Continue your search for the top link tracking tools until you find a platform that works best for you and your team. Fortunately, many providers offer free or reasonably priced business tools to help you to reach your goals. From social media management to timekeeping, great software allows you to automate your repetitive and time-consuming tasks. With the right tools you’ll have every chance of improving your business.

10 Things To Include On Your Business Plan

When it comes to deciding to start your own business, you have a lot of planning and decisions to make. You have to decide what you want to sell or what service you want to offer, and you need to choose whether you work from home or you hire a desk space. Most of the choices that you make for your business will be dictated by finances, and you can start off by writing a business plan to help you to have some insight on how your business is going to work.

You want a proper business plan, and while there are specialists who can help you to write one, you should be able to put the basics of one together yourself. You know that this is your baby, your idea. If you can’t write about it, then you are not at the right stage for starting your business yet. You need to take proper time over your business plan if you hope to be able to get the right fast small business loan to put your business into action. Investors are interested in people who have a vision that makes sense and are happy to put the effort into getting it right.

You should consider that your business plan acts as more than just a basic idea of what you want to achieve, but as a guideline for your goals and your future planning. So, let’s take a look at ten things that you should include in your business plan when you write one.

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You Need To Say What Your Business Is About

Seems a fairly obvious thing to start with: people need to know what it is your business is going to do to be able to ascertain that your business makes sense! You need to use simple terms to define what your business can do, and this is called your executive summary. Tell the reader about the products and services that you offer, when your business commencement date was and what you’ve achieved since.

Talk About Who Is Involved

Your business plan should have a summary of the current management team and and where they have brought your company so far. You want to be able to tell people who are involved and what they do and you should describe the current management team and their skillset in detail. Your investors and shareholders (well, future ones) will want to know with whom they are dealing.

Time To Talk Product/Service 

You should move into a paragraph about the product or service that you are planning to offer. You should talk about the benefits of your product and how it solves a problem for your customers who are looking for it. It should read as if you’re talking to someone very simply: they do not know what your product is, and so you need to be very basic in your language and talk through it thoroughly. The audience shouldn't be left wondering what it’s all about! This is where it can be useful to contact experts like Cullen Fischel Cleveland if you are listing your products or services on your website. These professionals can create a visually appealing and intuitive layout via a thoughtful and user-centric approach, displaying your offerings clearly and engagingly. This way, your products or services are prominently featured, making it easy for customers to navigate and find what they need.

Write About Your Customer 

With this business plan, you need to know and understand your market. You need to know everything there is to know about your customer base, and you should show this in your planning! This shows that you have a firm grasp of the segment of people in your target market.

Touch On The Competition 

You must be able to detail what you know about your competition in your business plan. You have to show that you compare to them and can compete with them in the market in which you hope to be involved. If you can show that you compare favourably, then you’re going to be able to show that you can offer something to a similar market. This is where you can establish your USP!

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Set Your Goals 

You want to be realistic here, but you need to set your goals to show that you have a vision in where you want your business to go. You should show that you can set targets and hit milestones with your effective planning. Make sure your goals are both long and short term, and you will be able to prove that you have a clue about where your business is headed.

Know Your Risks - And List Them 

Every business - whether you are experienced or not in your industry - is going to have risks. You just have to know what those are, know how to prepare for them and mention them in your business plan. Once you know what your personal and professional risks are, lay it out in your plan and how you plan to overcome them. It will make a big difference to the way that people see your business if they are able to identify that you have a good strategy in place.

Talk About Marketing 

Marketing your business is going to be a big deal. You could have the very best product or service at the best possible price, but that doesn't mean that you can advertise it and market it correctly. You may not have a clue about marketing, which means that you need to start doing your research and get to know how you plan to market your product properly.

Know Your Money 

It doesn't matter where you get your business loans from, you need to know what your borrowing is going to cover and how you plan to pay it back. This all needs to be detailed in your plan. Poor cash flow management could kill your business, so prove that it won’t be the case for you!

Explain Your Processes 

Your audience reading your business plan needs to be able to see how your business is going to operate. You need to know how it will all work so you can explain it without too much jargon. It needs to be read in a way people will understand, and while this isn’t a set structure for your business, you need to have these essentials in place to be taken seriously.

Plan for a Lean Future 

When you are trying to make the right business decisions for the future and map out an effective business plan, one of the best ways of achieving this is to plan for a Lean future. Businesses are losing so much money these days to waste, and a focus on Lean business is essential for saving money and reducing the waste that is produced as a company. This is a key part of the process of preparing to run a successful business, and it is definitely something that you need to include in your business plan as much as possible. Try to come up with some of the key ideas that are going to help you improve this process as much as possible, and there are a lot of ideas that will help you when it comes to making the most of this. There are so many factors that you need to make the most of, and understanding things like the 7 wastes of Lean can really help you to embrace this and implement it as much as possible in your business. This is something that can have a profound impact on the way you run your company, and this is something that you need to make the most of moving forward right now.

Your plan will be watertight with the right details in place!

Five Reason Your Startup Business Will Fail

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If you’ve launched a new business, the odds of success are stacked against you. In fact, according to Forbes, as many as 80% of new businesses will fail within their first year. Why does this happen?

Lack of Financing
Money is often the main reason why new companies fail, either because you need to keep borrowing money in order to try and survive, or because you lack the capital to get your business up and running. Both options will spell the end for your business. This is why you need to ensure you have enough money to see you through the early stages of your business, to a point when profits can start to takeover and replace the money you’ve invested. Until then, you need to think of ways to raise money, either by utilizing a nest-egg you have, or be attracting investors.

No Marketing Strategy
Assuming you’ve made it past the initial stages, the next potential hurdle is a lack of marketing. If you’re in a position where implementing strong marketing campaigns aren’t possible under your own esteem, then you need to consider a marketing agency. Although this means spending more money to begin with, you’ll be paying for experienced professionals to aid the growth of your business during its most crucial stages. Furthermore, by having someone else running marketing, you can spend your time focusing on other, equally important, areas of the business.

Ignoring Your Customers
There’s a reason why the saying “the customer is always right” is a popular one — it rings true. Your customers should be at the heart of what you do, and they should be able to communicate with you regarding where you need to improve your company. When customers can’t have an open discussion with you, they can feel neglected. Avoid this scenario by asking for feedback, connecting via your business social media, and so on; do this and you’ll get customer satisfaction every time.

Rapid Growth
Even though having a large, recognized brand may be the end game, expanding the business too soon and too quickly can have damaging effects. The main reason businesses fail at this stage is because they become too complacent, believing that they don’t have to put as much effort in because most of the hard work has already been done. This is far from true. Expansion is just like when you first started up, which means you’re going to need to put in a lot of hours, money, and hard work to make this next stage of the business work just as well.

A Lack of Innovation
Being a totally unique brand isn’t easy to achieve, simply because there’s so many other businesses out there similar to yours or who have adopted similar business traits. This shouldn’t be new information to you. Instead, you should analyze the current market and your competitors, in a bid to learn how to ensure your brand really stands out from the crowd. If you lack impact, you’ll get overlooked time and again.

5 Ways to Genuinely Improve Business This Year

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Business might be going well, but don’t get comfortable. In order to succeed long term it’s important to keep on moving forward, and making changes so you stay on top. Here are five things you can do this year to genuinely make a difference to your business.

Improve your office
It’s important not to overlook your office space since a better office really can mean better business. Paint the walls, have the carpets deep cleaned and add things like plants and custom signage around to bring the place to life. Play around with the layout to improve the space, and take note from big companies like Spotify and Google who use collaborative office areas due to the increase in work productivity this gives.

Upgrade your hardware and software
The right hardware and software is crucial for success in business. Think laptops and computers, specialist phone systems and software from legal to accounting programs. Work out exactly what your business needs and don’t try and cut corners here, since you’ll only slow yourself down if you do.

Improve employee satisfaction
Making sure everyone that works for you is kept happy ill boost morale and productivity, this will in turn mean more profits for you. If you look after your staff, they will care for your clients or customers meaning employee satisfaction is great place to start if you want to grow and improve your business. Reward good work, and consider offering employee benefits that help people to feel secure and happy in their jobs. Even something as simple as a free lunch is considered a perk. Other ways you can improve employee satisfaction is by offering education, whether it’s in deuterated compounds for government research or training for specific vehicle licenses it all depends on your business. But allowing people to learn these skills boosts their morale and also means you always have skilled workers for the jobs you need.

Work with other companies by outsourcing
Outsourcing allows you to grow your business, but without having to hire more staff or buy more equipment. It’s great for areas of business where the work isn’t always constant as a company can do the work on an ‘as and when’ basis rather than you having to hire an employee who you only have work for some of the time. You could outsource anything frrom your marketing to a professional agency, or just one-off jobs like website design or blog writing.

Budget correctly
It’s crucial to make sure the day to day financial running's of your business are kept under control. It’s a fine balance, you don't want to overspend but if you scrimp in certain areas then this will affect your business too. Work out where to spend and where to save, speak to a financial advisor if you’re not sure who will be experienced in running these kinds of ventures and be able to keep you on track.

Are Engagement Rings Still Relevant In 2020?

Does my engagement ring make my finger look fat?
We’ve all cheered for a friend who’s shared her happy news online. But the trend indicates that in 2020, engagement ring photos are going to slow down. Indeed, more and more people are unsure whether an engagement ring is the right thing for their couples. While love is still strong among the young generations, many brides are concerned that an engagement ring is not something they would feel happy wearing. Therefore, it raises an important question for lovers and fashion lovers alike, namely, are engagement rings still relevant in 2020?

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Why wouldn’t you want an engagement ring?
To understand why people buy fewer engagement rings, it’s important to put ourselves in their shoes. Engagement rings are a beautiful and elegant sign of love. However, depending on your career, you may not be able to wear a ring on your finger. People who work in the pastry and bakery sector, for instance, prefer to wear their rings on a necklace because they can cause problems when they work with fresh dough. Some even skip the ring altogether to pick a different type of jewelry, such as an opal nose stud or an elegant silver earpiece. In this instance, the engagement jewelry market needs to diversify itself to make sure everybody can find the right piece for their lifestyle.

Is there a non-jewelry alternative?
For some couples, buying an engagement ring is an expensive investment they can’t afford to make. And the truth is, you don’t need to splash out on jewelry to show that you love each other. There are plenty of alternative engagement gestures you can choose from, such as getting an engagement tattoo together, for instance. Couples can be playful with their symbols, with many choosing complementary images. You could, for example, get a padlock, while bae gets a key tattoo. The placement of your tattoo is not essential, but a lot of people choose to have a tattoo on their ring fingers or their wrists.

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Something for the tradition lovers too
It doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t get an engagement ring. While the trend is moving away from rings, there is still a vast market for tradition lovers. With a lot of designs and patterns to choose from, your engagement ring can be as modern, colorful, and playful as you want. You can even include a cluster of different gems and cuts for a mesmerizing effect!

Additionally, while the typical engagement ring has a diamond, nothing is stopping you from picking a different stone.

The girl is asking!
There’s one last case where couples choose to forego the engagement ring. Indeed, while the tradition wants that the man proposes, more and more ladies are taking the matter into their own hands and asking their boyfriend to marry them. Not only is it a cute and romantic gesture for the man in your life, but it is also guaranteed to establish the basis of a happy and gender-equal relationship. But, in those cases, it’s tricky to prepare an engagement ring for your boo!

Are engagement rings becoming old-fashioned? Of course not! But the engagement industry is growing to accommodate many new trends, interests, and needs. As a result, couples who don’t want to buy a ring but still want a token of love can choose between suitably romantic alternatives.

How to Save Money on Your Wedding Venue

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Your wedding venue is the backdrop to your big day, it influences everything from the mood and tone of your wedding to how your pictures look- so is arguably one of the most important decisions to make. But if the beautiful wedding venues you have on your shortlist are simply out of your budget you don’t need to panic yet, there are plenty of ways you can get what you want and keep the costs where you want them. Here are some ideas!

Get married off season
Getting married anywhere between May and September will cost you the most money, with the mid summer months tending to fetch the highest prices. As beautiful as a summer wedding is, considering getting married at another time of year could massively reduce the cost. How about a magical winter wedding, or a gorgeous pastel ‘spring bloom’ theme? Autumn weddings are becoming more popular, and the incredible foliage you can find during the fall can really add something to a wedding. Think classy decorated pumpkins, sunflowers and orange and red leaves. Have a think about other times of the year and figure out if getting married during that time is worth it for the costs you’ll save.

Have a smaller wedding
Another way to get the wedding that you want but without blowing the budget is to scale it back. This can be tricky, there are lots of unwritten rules about who should get an invite to your day but put yourself in control. It’s your wedding, you’re paying for it so invite who you like. If cutting back the guest list from 250 acquaintances to 100 close friends and family saves you thousands of pounds then why wouldn’t you?

Go with a less traditional venue
Stunning hotels and similar venues look fantastic there’s no denying it, they tend to have all of the catering and other facilities right on site as well as scenic gardens and backdrops for photos. So booking something like this often makes sense as you know what you’re getting and it makes things easier. But if you’re not afraid to do something different then why not go for a more unusual venue? Hire out a building that’s not typically used for weddings such as a farm and hold your event here. There are lots of ideas online so work out of any would suit you and there’s anything nearby to where you live that you could check out.

Get married at home
Do you have a large garden? Why not get married or hold your reception at home? You can hire large wedding gazebos and kit them all out with lights, decorations, tables and a dance floor for much less than you’d pay at most other venues. Being at home could make it even more special for the right kind of couple, and it’s a definite option to consider if you have the right space.

4 Reasons Why Your Marketing Isn't Working

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If there is one thing we all know about business, it’s that you can only be successful if customers know you exist. Getting your brand out there and recognized is essential if you hope to make any kind of impact, and so marketing is one of the first things any business has to get right.

However, the skill sets required for running a business and marketing one effectively are not necessarily overlapping. You may have everything on the production side right, and have a solid head for recruitment but, when it comes down to it, find that your marketing efforts are coming up short. If you’re not seeing the customer interest that you believe your products or services merit, here are a few of the reasons you might be struggling…

You’re pitching to the wrong audience
It may seem outlandish, but it is simply a fact that some businesses hit the wrong note with their marketing, and even some very smart business owners make crucial mistakes with where they aim their marketing. If you are too broad with where you place your ads, or drop your direct mail in a neighborhood where your services will never be needed, then you’ll fail to attract interested customers - and you may even get a negative reputation that drags on your marketability.

You’re being too subtle
Everyone likes a clever marketing campaign, and sometimes ad executives will secure top dollar for a series of ads that are critically-acclaimed, and have been focus-grouped every way imaginable, but when the campaign runs, it just doesn't land. In marketing, clever is great, and it’s well worth being original - but you have to be memorable first and foremost. Whether that’s by using your brand name prominently, or working on the right direct mail materials with the likes of mailitdirect.com, the best campaign is the one that people won’t forget in a hurry.

You’re putting all your eggs in one basket
It is perfectly sensible to be cautious with your marketing at the outset; you don’t ever want to overspend on your first campaign. However, this does not mean you should focus merely on mailshots, radio ads, promoted social media posts as advocated by hootsuite.com or any other specific form of marketing. You have to diversify somewhat, even right at the beginning, for one reason above all else; if you don’t test your message in a number of formats, you won’t know which works best. Your marketing budget may be modest, but that’s all the more reason not to throw it all in one bucket - spread it around, and then concentrate on what works best.

You’re not saying anything new
It’s common in business to look at what competitors are doing and try to do it better. The wisdom of this approach is in doubt anyway - it’s hard to separate people from a brand they already trust - but in marketing it’s all the more pointless. Marketing needs to be fresh to be effective; by using someone else’s methods and message you’ll end up looking derivative and, worse yet, potentially driving your potential customers to your competitors. Above all other principles, this is the most important in marketing; don’t copy anyone else, there really is nothing to be gained by it.

Keep these principles of marketing in mind, and you’ll avoid the mistakes so many new businesses make.

Planning on Hosting a Business Event? Here’s What you Need to Do First

If you are planning on hosting a small business event, then you need to make sure that you carry out the right preparations. If you don’t then you may find that you end up not getting the result you hoped for and this can work against you in the long run.

Decide On Your Target Audience
The first thing that you need to do is decide on your target audience. This will help you with your content, prices, location and more. This kind of structured approach will help you to stay focused on achieving your goals and it will also mean that you are able to really define your scope as well.

Make A List of Details
It’s also important that you make a list of the details of your event as well. Ideally, you want to include everything from lighting to public transport, content and refreshments too. When you do decide to host an event, everything really does matter and if you make a list, you will soon find that you don’t end up overlooking anything.

Have A Clear Business Purpose
Before you can even start planning out your event, you need to be clear on why you are actually hosting your event. Every decision that you make should ultimately support your end goal. For example, is it your goal to create awareness of your business? Do you want to try and develop customer loyalty? Or maybe you want to make more money?  Either way, it doesn’t matter which option you go with because you need to make sure that your employees are all on the same page and that they are also supportive of your end goal as well. If you want your team to be more connected at the event then investing in a corporate supplier is always a good idea.

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Other Industry Events
It’s vital that you watch out for other industry events and their scheduling. The last thing that you want is for your customers to have to choose between your event and your competitors. You also have to make sure that you don’t schedule your event too close to a popular vacation time either. If you do then you may end up with a lower turnout and this is the last thing that you want.

Be Flexible
As you delve deep into the event planning process, you may find that your event changes in location, size and more. This is natural and it’s fine as long as you stay focused on your goals and that you also don’t lose sight of the reason why you are doing all of this work to begin with. Flexibility is always a good thing so use it to your advantage and incorporate it into your plan.

Know Your Limitations
You may want to throw the ultimate live event, and this is great, but you do have to remember that you have a budget and you also have a time limit as well. If you decide to throw something too big then this will work against you and you may even find that your event suffers as a result.

There's A Reason Entrepreneurs Fear Downtime - It Puts Them Out Of Business

Many people go into business, believing that their biggest problem will be conjuring up demand for their products and services. To their surprise, however, they soon find out that this is rarely the case. Instead, the main issue is keeping their enterprise up and running.

Downtime is a dreaded word in the business community. When a company's network is no longer operational, it cannot serve its customers, organize remote workers, or analyze its data. To put it bluntly, it's a disaster.

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Even so, it remains something that companies around the world endure every week. Employees go into the office on Monday morning, believing that everything is fine and then find out in the afternoon that the systems are down and they can't work.

The main reasons for downtime aren't what you imagine. It's not nefarious hackers trying to bring your business to its knees for their own amusements. More often, it's something boringly technical, like insufficient bandwidth - or too many people trying to access too few computing resources.

No entrepreneur wants to admit that the reason their business failed was because of downtime, but it is something that happens. When networks fail, bosses face a stark choice between going to their creditors and asking for more money or shutting down their firms. It's a tough call.

While you don't hear very often about companies going out of business because of downtime, it does happen. Usually, it is smaller firms with much tighter cash flow situations that need money coming in all the time to make ends meet. Without a constant stream of money coming into their bank accounts, they're unable to pay suppliers and staff, leading to the failure of the business.

Fortunately, there's no need for companies to experience downtime at all, let alone for it to be a reason they go out of business.

Kortek Solutions points out that there are two approaches to company IT. First, there's the break-fix model where you carry on as usual until something goes wrong. The majority of SMEs in the country operate under this paradigm, hoping every morning that their systems will make it through the day.

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The alternative - and better - approach is to perform proactive maintenance on the network. Here you're continually monitoring it for problems so you can troubleshoot issues BEFORE they lead to downtime.

Most people in business would agree that the latter is preferable. It is much better to nip a problem in the bud before it leads to downtime than wait for the issue to explode and having a full-blown crisis on your hands. And yet, very few leaders operate this kind of IT strategy, preferring to dice with financial death instead.

Being proactive with IT is much more straightforward than you might imagine. Usually, it just involves predicting network usage and then comparing it to the resources actually required by your people. Sometimes, it can include things like ensuring that you make regular backups through the cloud so that you can restore your systems in the event of an emergency. To put it bluntly, it's simple.

The Beauty Blogger's 3 Best Friends

So, you want to be a beauty blogger. You’ve decided that after all the years spent poring over fashion magazines and obsessing over the latest developments in makeup, nails and cosmetics it’s time to turn your passion into profit. With a decent camera, a little writing talent and a whole lot of persistence and perseverance you could go a long way! Who knows, you might even be able to make enough money from your passion to quit your day job. At the very least, you could find yourself with lots of cool promo from the brands you love (or don’t) as you establish yourself as a key influencer in the field.

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But it’s not enough to be gorgeous and passionate (although, of course you are). It’s not even enough to be hard working and talented (of course you’re those things too), You also need to learn when to reach out for a helping hand to establish yourself and grow your brand. Here are some of the beauty bloggers best friends- essential contacts that you’ll need to make as you strike out in your mission to make a name for yourself and get recognized by brands...

A talented web developer
It’s all well and good starting your beauty blogging journey with a modestly customized WordPress theme. But if you want to get taken seriously in this competitive space you need to invest in your website. Not only does it need to look as flawless as your profile, it needs to handle beautifully, too- giving users quick and easy access to the content they need. That means you should make friends with a web development agency to make sure your website looks and feels professional.

A copy-writing agency
You’re a talented writer whose prose reflects her passion. But you’re only human, and like any human being you’ll get sick, need to take a holiday and find that life gets in the way of your plans to grow your blog. However, you’ll still need to maintain a steady stream of content to satisfy your fan-base and keep yourself relevant and visible. Outsourcing some of your posts to a copy-writing agency can help you to satisfy your followers while still allowing you some work / life balance. Their writers will read your blog, get a feel for your voice and write engaging, relevant copy that reads like you wrote it yourself.

An affiliate marketing program
Finally, if you want to make money from  your beauty blog, an affiliate marketing program is the best way to do it. As an affiliate you’ll display ads on your blog and earn a commission whenever one of your followers buys something by clicking on the link. As your following grows this can become increasingly lucrative. Of course, the more relevant the ads are to your audience the more likely your followers are to engage with them. With that in mind, here are some of the best affiliate programs for beauty bloggers.

With these 3 amigos on your team, you’ll have everything you need to make a big impression on the beauty world and start making good money doing what you love.